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THIRD  EDITION 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  AUTHOR, 

REV.  W.  H.  ROBINSON, 
Reminiscences  of  my  early  life 
while  in  slavery. 


DEDICATED  TO  MY 
DAUGHTER,  MARGUERITE. 


James  H.  Tifft, 
publishing  printer, 

EAU  CLAIRE,  WIS. 

1913. 


OLD    GLORY ! 


The  old  tattered  flag,  that  passed  through  the  siege  of  the 
"  Civil  War  "  which  freed  the  colored  race  from  slavery  and 
saved  the  Union  from  disruption.  The  old  flag  was  fought 
under  by  the  colored  as  well  as  the  white  boys,  and  was  pre- 
served as  the  Nation's  emblem  of  freedom.  ''Long  may  it 
wave  o'er  the  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the  brave." 


preaentatlonv 

I  present  this  work  to  the  public  on  it's  merits; 
there  is  no  fiction  about  it,  every  incident  is  taken 
from  reality.  The  author  has  either  passed  through 
or  been  an  eye  witness  to  every  trying  ordeal  and  in- 
cident, with  a  very  few  exceptions,  and  he  has  authen- 
tic history  to  sustain  him  in  these.  Every  line  is  dic- 
tated by  the  author,  W.  H.  Robinson,  and  written  by 
his  secretary,  Miss  Florence  Mitchell,  of  Louisville, 
Kentucky. 

Bnbovsements. 

.  ..  Having  read  the  within  pages  I  can  conscientious- 
ly-Recommend  the  book  as  being  of  intense  interest 
from  first  to  last;  full  of  interesting  narrative,  valuable 
historical  information,  good  suggestions  and  whole- 
some inspiration.  It  is  more  tban  worth  the  price 
a^ked  for  it. 

J.  M.  GASS, 
Editor  "News,"  Albia,  Iowa. 

April  14,  1913. 

To  Whom  It  May  Concern: 

It  gives  me  pleasure  to  be  permitted  to  state  that 
the  Rev.  W.  H.  Robinson  is  personally  known  to  me 
as  a  man  whom  God  is  most  wonderfully  using  in  the 
extension  of  His  Kingdom.  He  is  most  favorably 
known  in  the  state  and  enjoys  the  highest  esteem  of 
the  churches.  His  evangelistic  labors;  have  been  sig- 
nally successful,  churches  being  quickened,  church 
members  reclaim  d  and  large  numbers  truly  convert- 
ed. His  book  I  considtT  of  great  value,  ])reseriiing  as 
it  does,  a  vivid  n  id  truthful  story  of  the  rem  irkable 
manner  in  which  God  by  His  grace,  can  use  o.ic  who 
is  consecrated  to  ihe  service  of  the  Master 
Yours  very  1  rul y, 

GEO.  R.  STAIR, 
Pastor  First  Ba^aist  Church,  Eau  Claire,  Wisconsin. 


Rev.  W,  H.  Robinson,  Author. 


The  Late  Mrs.  W  H.  Robinson 


fROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


9 


Hutbor's  preface- 

My  friends,  it  is  not  the  purpose  of  the  writer  to 
place  before  the  public  something  to  bias  the  minds  of 
the  people  or  instill  a  spirit  of  hatred.  My  book  re- 
veals in  every  chapter  either  the  pathetic  moan  of 
slaves  in  almost  utter  despair,  yet  panting,  groaning, 
bitterly  wailing  and  still  hoping  for  freedom,  or  of 
slaves  with  their  hearts  lifted  to  God,  praying  for  de- 
liverance from  the  cruel  bonds,  the  auction  block,  and 
years  of  unrequited  grinding  toil  for  those  who  had  no 
right  to  their  labor. 

Realizing,  as  1  do,  the  injunction  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
when  he  said,  in  Matthew  VII,  12:  '-Therefore,  all 
thino^s  whatsoever  ve  would  that  men  should  do  to 
you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them,  for  this  is  the  law  and  the 
prophets,"  my  deliberations  have  been  many  and  con- 
stant that  God  would  take  out  of  my  heart  all  the 
spirit  of  retaliation  or  revenge.  This  is  why  my  book 
has  not  been  before  the  public  years  ago.  I  wanted 
to  be  assured  of  the  fact  that  I  could  give  to  the  world 
at  least  some  thoughts  that  would  not  only  be  a  re- 
membrance, but  would  prove  beneficial  to  all  in  whose 
hands  this  book  may  chance  to  fall.  I  would  not  have 
this  all  important  fact  pass  from  the  mind  and  memory 
of  men,  that  they  should  not  give  their  consent,  nor 
cast  their  ballot  for  the  enslavement  of  any  human  be- 
ing. 

To  some  of  the  noble  men  of  this  country,  yea  to 
many  whose  blood  has  stained   the  earth  at  Fairfax 


10  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 

Courthouse,  Virginia,  Eoanoke  Island,  North  Carolina, 
Fort  Donelson,  Pea  Ridge  Arkansas,  Shiloh  or  Pitts- 
burg Landing,  Tennessee,  Williamsburg,  Virginia,  and 
many  other  places  too  numerous  to  mention,  it  is  but 
as  yesterday  since  the  noble  men,  who  are  sleeping  in 
unknown  graves,  left  their  homes  and  loved  ones  to 
lay  their  lives  on  the  sacrificial  altar  of  their  country, 
to  perpetuate  this  government  and  help  to  shake  the 
shackles  of  bondage  from  a  race  hewn  from  a  slab  of 
ebony.  It  is  but  yesterday,  in  our  memories,  since 
mothers  gave  their  only  sons,  wives  their  husbands, 
sisters  their  brothers,  sweethearts  their  intended,  to 
take  part  in  shaking  the  manacles  from  this  unfortu- 
nate race.  It  is  but  yesterday  since  the  sad  message 
came  that  many  of  those  loved  ones  had  fallen  in  the 
forefront  of  the  battle,  saturated  in  their  own  blood, 
fighting  for  human  liberty. 

Gratitude  will  not  pay  for  the  loss  of  those  dear 
ones,  nor  for  those  who  returned  limbless,  and  with 
shattered  health,  but  it  is  the  greatest  gift  in  human 
reach.  May  God  ever  bless,  and  he  will  bless,  the 
Caucasian  race  for  the  Moses,  in  the  person  of  an 
Abraham  Lincoln,  who  led  us  across  the  Red  Sea  of 
slavery  into  the  promised  land  of  liberty,  where  today 
we  can  worship  God  under  our  own  vine  and  fig  tree, 
and  no  one  dare  molest  us  or  make  us  afraid. 

Having  given  you  this  short  preface  I  will  at  once 
proceed  to  give  you  a  history  of  my  life  as  a  slave, 
and  of  slavery  from  a  historical  standpoint;  also  eleven 
months  of  my  life  in  England,  where  I  received  my 
first  alphabetical  training. 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


11 


CHAPTER  I. 

I  was  born  in  Wilmington,  a  town  in  North  Carolina, 
March  11,  1848.  Wilmington  is  situated  near  th© 
mouth  of  the  Cape  Fear  river,  on  the  Atlantic  coast. 
It  has  a  good  harbor  on  the  tidal  waters  of  Cape  Fear 
river.  The  chief  exports  are  cotton  and  tobacco  from 
the  uplands,  and  lumber,  rosin  and  turpentine  from  the 
yellow  pine  forests  of  the  coastal  plains.  The  swampy 
coastal  lowlands  produce  great  quantities  of  rice. 

In  reading  Stanley  and  Livingston  on  Africa  we  no- 
tice that  the  negro  race  is  divided  into  different  tribes. 
Among  them  is  the  Madagascar  tribe,  who  are  noted 
for  their  mechanical  skill.  To  this  tribe  my  parents 
both  belonged. 

My  parents,  Peter  and  Rosy,  belonged  to  a  very 
wealthy  ship  and  slave  holder,  who  owned  two  farms 
and  over  five  hundred  slaves. 

My  father  was  an  engineer  and  towed  vessels  in  and 
out  of  Wilmington  harbor  into  the  Atlantic  ocean.  Ho 
pursued 'this  occupation  for  over  fifteen  years  and  re- 
ceived many  tips  by  being  courteous  and  always  on  the 
alert  for  ships  heaving  in  sight.  While  the  master  re- 
ceived pay  for  the  towage,  my  father  by  constant  con- 
tact with  white  men,  received  money  in  many  other 
ways.  *'As  association  breeds  assimilation"  so  my 
father  learned  the  art  of  making  and  saving  money  un- 
til he  had  accumulated  about  eleven  hundred  dollari. 


12 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


My  mother  was  a  cook  at  the  great  house,  but  hired 
her  time  from  her  mistress,  for  which  she  paid  three 
dolhirs  per  month. 

It  becomes  necessary  to  exphiin  how  slaves  would 
get  nioney  to  pay  for  their  time  There  were  shipped 
from  Wilmington  a  great  many  ground-peas  or  peanuts, 
as  we  now  call  them.  They  were  brought  from  the 
country  in  bulk  and  so  had  to  be  sacked  and  sewed  up. 
The  slaves  were  hired  for  this  work,  for  which  they  re- 
ceived one  cent  and  a  half  ])er  sack.  This  is  one  of 
the  great  mediums  through  which  they  made  money. 
Another  was,  a  ^^reat  many  hoo^sheads  of  molasses 
were  brought  from  New  Orleans  and  unloaded  on  the 
docks,  and  the  hot  sun  would  cause  them  to  ferment 
and  run  out  through  the  chimes.  The  negro  women 
would  catch  this  molasses  by  running  their  hands  over 
the  hogshead  and  wiping  the  molasses  from  their  hands 
into  a  pail.  I  am  often  made  to  wonder  now  when  I 
see  people  gagging  at  the  idea  of  eating  bread  made  up 
by  black  hands,  when  in  those  days  the  poor  whites 
were  truly  glad  to  buy  the  molasses  caught  in  the 
hands  of  our  mothers,  and  like  Elijah,  who  was  fed  by 
the  ravens,  they  ate  it  and  asked  no  questions. 

Father  enjoyed  the  friendship  of  two  very  dis- 
tinguished Quakers,  Mr.  Fuller  and  Mr.  Elliott,  who 
owned  oyster  sloops,  and  stood  at  the  head  of  what  is 
known  in  our  country  as  the  underground  railroad,  or 
an  organization  filled  with  love  of  freedom  for  suffering 
humanity,  that  had  for  its  end  the  liberation  of  slaves 
and  that  onl}^  Hundreds  of  men  belonging  to  this  or- 
ganization sacrificed  their  lives  in  carrying  out  this 
noble  purpose. 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


13 


Father  was  with  Messrs  Fuller  and  Elliott  every  day 
towing  them  in  and  out  from  the  oyster  bay.  This 
gave  them  an  opportunity  to  lay  and  devise  plans  for 
getting  many  into  Canada  (the  only  safe  refuge  for  the 
negro  this  side  the  Atlantic.)  and  my  father  was  an 
important  factor  in  this  line. 

The  system  of  deliverance  by  the  underground  rail- 
road was  to  divide  the  country  off  into  sections,  and  at 
every  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  would  be  a  station  or 
depot.  One  man  would  haul  the  slaves  at  night  to  the 
end  of  his  station  and  get  back  home  before  daylight, 
undiscovered,  then  they  would  be  conveyed  the  next 
niofht  in  waj^ons  from  that  station  to  the  next,  and  so 
on  until  they  reached  Canada. 

Often  the  wagons  had  double  linings,  with  corn  or 
wheat  visible,  while  the  cavity  was  filled  with  women 
and  children. 

Father,  having  a  foretaste  of  liberty  to  some  extent, 
and  growing  weary  of  the  life  of  a  slave,  with  the  as- 
sistance of  his  Quaker  friends  plans  were  laid  for  him 
to  purchase  his  own  freedom  and  go  to  Canada.  Then 
his  family  would  be  sent  to  him  by  the  underground 
railroad,  Jf  any  one  connected  with  the  underground 
railroad  was  caught  the  penalty  was  a  heavy  fine  and 
expulsion  from  the  state. 

Allow  me  to  state  here  that  in  1875,  while  on  the 
trafn  going  to  Wilmington,  North  Carolina,  in  search 
of  a  sister  and  brother,  I  met  a  white  man  having  the 
appearance  of  a  lawyer.  He  talked  very  freely  with 
me  and  I  soon  learned  that  he  was  from  Boston,  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  that  he  was  a  merchant  instead  of  a 


14 


FKOM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


lawyer.  His  continued  conversation  with  me  attracted 
the  attention  of  nearly  all  the  passengers  in  the  car,  and 
they  were  not  careful  or  considerate  in  their  criticism, 
for  they  were  heard  to  say  several  times,  ' '  he  is  a 
Northern  negro  lover,"  or,  "one  of  Lincoln's  hire- 
lings," and  suchlike  expressions  We  were  truly  glad 
when  we  reached  Wilmington  and  could  get  away  from 
the  scrutinizing  eyes  and  listening  oars  of  the  passen- 
gers in  the  car.  He  asked  me  if  Wilmingloii  was  my 
home.  I  told  him  it  was,  but  that  I  did  not  h)ve  a 
grain  of  sand  of  that  soil.  He  a'^sured  me  ihiit  tliis 
was  the  case  with  him,  for  said  he,  '  ray  fnther  lo^t  his 
life  here  trying  to  help  a  colored  man  to  lilterty."  I 
asked  him  who  his  father  was.  He  said,  -'Sam  Fuller." 
When  he  learned  that  I  had  known  his  father  from  mv 
childhood  days  it  seemed  to  draw  him  closer  to  me, 
and  we  were  both  dumbfounded  for  a  moment  when  it 
was  made  known  that  his  father  had  lost  his  life  be- 
cause he  had  tried  to  help  my  father  secure  his  freedom. 
We  both  broke  down  and  wept  for  a  few  moments, 
but  I  recognized  the  danger  we  were  in,  even  in 
1875,  in  a  southern  state.  So  we  parted  with  the  un- 
derstanding that  we  keep  in  touch  with  each  other  un- 
til we  got  to  Indianapolis,  Indiana.  As  there  was  dan- 
ger of  both  being  murdered  we  passed  each  other  al- 
most as  strangers  on  the  streets  of  Wilmington  for  over 
a  week,  and  finally  we  both  left  on  the  same  train. 
We  spent  a  week  together  in  the  city  of  Indianapolis , 
Indiana.  From  the  way  he  spent  money  on  me  it 
seemed  that  he  thought  he  owed  me  some  gratitude  in- 
stead of  my  owing  it  to  him. 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


15 


He  now  told  me  the  story  of  the  death  of  his  father 
and  how  it  came  about.  My  master  became  sus- 
picious, or  mistrusted  from  surrounding  circumstances, 
that  Mr-  Fuller  was  the  deviser  of  father's  attempt  to 
buy  his  freedom.  A  few  nights  after  father  was  sold 
from  Wilmington  a  posse  of  men  notified  Mr.  Fuller  to 
leave  the  state  at  once,  and  they  left  a  crossbone  and 
skull  on  a  stick  in  front  of  his  door.  He  left  his  wife 
and  four  children,  Samuel,  Jr.,  the  man  I  met  on  the 
train  being  the  oldest,  with  the  understanding  that  he 
would  send  for  them  in  a  few  days.  He  has  never 
been  heard  from  since.  The  supposition  is  that  he  was 
murdered.  The  family  remained  there  until  the  re- 
bellion, when  they  left  for  Indiana,  afterward  going 
from  there  to  Massachusetts. 

The  young  man's  business  in  Wilmington  was  to 
look  after  the  little  homestead,  which  was  about  forty 
acres  of  land.  I  was  not  successful  in  finding  my  sis- 
ter and  brother,  but  felt  amply  paid  by  meeting  an 
old  friend  to  the  negro  race  and  one  who  helped  my 
father  in  many  different  ways. 


16  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PIILPIT. 


CHAPTER  11. 

The  plans  to  free  father  were  put  into  execution  in 
1858  My  father  went  to  his  master  to  ascertain  what 
he  would  take  for  him.  The  first  question  master 
asked  him  was,  what  white  man  had  put  him  up  to 
this^  His  suspicion  at  once  fell  on  these  two  Quakers. 
Father  finally  succeeded  in  convincing  him  that  no 
white  man  was  implicated.  Then  his  next  question 
was,  ''how  much  money  have  you?"  Father  told  him 
$450,  so  he  agreed  to  take  $1,150  for  him.  This  was 
an  exorbitant  price  and  he  didn't  think  father  would 
ever  be  able  to  pay  it.  He  could  have  paid  him  the 
amount  down,  but  in  counsel  the  Quakers  had  thought 
it  would  not  be  the  best  thing  to  do  for  fear  it  would 
confuse  the  whole  plan  and  jeopardize  their  lives. 

He  was  to  pay  for  himself  on  the  installment  plan, 
paying  $450  down,  with  the  understanding  that  he 
continue  six  months  on  the  tnor  to  teach  another  man 
to  run  it,  then  he  could  work  wherever  he  pleased. 
Every  year  he  was  to  pay  as  much  as  he  could,  which 
he  did,  together  with  the  interest. 

At  this  time  the  subject  of  slavery  was  being  great- 
ly agitated  in  the  north,  and  slaves  were  depreciating 
in  value.  In  1859  my  father  went  to  California  with 
a  surveying  company,  staying  one  year.  He  returned 
during  the  holidays,   paying  $350  more  on  himself, 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT.  17 

Miaking  a  total  of  $800  paid  on  his  debt.  He  went 
back  to  California  after  the  holidays  and  was  gone 
about  three  months,  when  the  news  came  to  us  that  he 
was  returning  in  chains.  We  knew  exactly  what  that 
meant;  to  rob  him  of  what  he  had  paid  and  sell  him 
away  from  us,  and  we  were  not  mistaken,  for  this  was 
the  exact  purpose. 

You  may  wonder  how  we  received  the  news,  know-  * 
ing  we  had  no  access  to  the  teleg^raph  or  postoffice. 
Now,  to  explain  this.  To  get  news  from  one  farm  to 
another  one  slave  would  tell  the  other,  and  so  on,  un- 
til by  this  means  and  that  of  the  uoderground  railroad, 
it  would  reach  it's  destination.  So  father  sent  us  the 
news  in  this  way,  clear  from  California  to  North  Caro- 
lina. 

For  two  months  we  went  every  day  when  the  boat 
came,  to  see  if  father  was  on  it.  At  last  the  sad  hour 
came  when  the  boat  arrived,  bringiDg  father  bound  in 
chains.  We  saw  him  pulling  his  whiskers  (a  mark  of 
deep  sorrow  with  him.)  Wiien  they  took  him  off  the 
boat  we  found  he  had  worn  handcuffs  fourteen  days 
and  his  ankles,  from  the  manacles,  were  as  raw  as  a 
piece  of  beef. 

That  night  they  took  him  to  the  jail,  or  negro  pen, 
and  there  we  left  them  trying  to  unlock  the  handcuffs, 
for  the  flesh  had  swollen  so  it  made  it  almost  impos- 
sible to  unlock  them.  The  negro  trader  ordered 
mother  and  five  of  us  children  to  go  home,  assuring  us 
that  we  would  see  father  in  the  morning. 

That  night  I  saw  mother  in  every  attitude  of  prayer 
a  human  beino^  could  assume.    Sometimes  she  would 


18 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


be  prostrate  upon  her  face  on  the  floor;  sometimes  on 
her  knees  and  again  in  a  sitting  posture,  imploring 
God  to  use  his  power  in  some  way  to  keep  father  from 
being  sold  from  us. 

Then  about  twelve  o'clock  that  night  mother  said  we 
would  go  to  the  great  ho  Tse,  and  so  we  went,  notwith- 
standing the  rigidness  of  the  law;  for  there  was  a 
standing  law,  that  any  negro  caught  out  after  nine 
o'clock  at  night  should  be  struck  thirty -nine  lashes. 
But  now,  as  the  war  was  dawning,  they  were  more 
rigid  than  ever,  and  raised  it  to  forty-nine  lashes. 


Miss  Marguerite  Robinson. 


20 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


CHAPTER  III. 

There  were  four  classes  of  men  who  made  their  liv- 
ino-  on  the  bhjod  of  the  neo^ro  The  first  class  is  the 
master  proper.  He  feels  himself  too  honorable  to 
drive  the  slave  from  two  or  three  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing until  nine  or  ten  at  night,  therefore  he  sees  the 
necessity  of  the  second  class,  so  he  hires  a  poor  white 
man  as  overseer,  to  do  this  dirty  work. 

The  overseer  had  the  authority,  if  the  slave — man, 
woman  or  child — failed  lo  do  his  task,  to  tie  him  up 
and  whip  him,  but  not  to  exceed  one  hundred  and 
tif  ty  lashes.  If  the  crime  demanded  more  than  that 
he  must  get  special  authority  from  the  master.  The 
punishment,  as  will  be  shov/n  further  on,  was  very 
high  for  trivial  offenses. 

Sometimes  the  task  w^ms  too  heavy  for  the  negro 
and  he  could  not  complete  it,  and  would  rise  up  in  his 
manhood  and  would  not  be  whipped.  Then  his  only 
alternative  was  to  run  away,  and  this  usually  was  the 
first  thought  in  his  mind.  The  third  man  raised 
blood  hounds  and  trained  them  to  hunt  nothing  but 
negroes.  He  made  his  living  by  catching  runaway 
negroes,  receiving  the  paltry  sum  of  three  dollars  per 
head.  The  fourth  man  is  the  negro  trader,  who  made 
a  perpetual  business  of  buying  and  selling  negroes,  as 
men  do  cattle  in  this  country.  He  would  buy  up 
eight,  ten  or  twenty,  as  the  case  might  be,  and  locate 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


21 


them  at  some  central  point  until  he  had  from  three  to 
five  hundred.  Then  he  would  have  a  long  chain  and 
handcutf  them  on  either  side  of  the  chain  and  march 
them  to  Richmond,  Virginia,  which  Avas  the  central 
slave  market  of  the  south,  owned  and  conducted  by 
the  Lees  and  known  as  Lee's  negro  trader's  pen,  and 
when  there  they  would  auction  them  oif  to  the  highest 
bidder. 

The  prosperity  of  the  poor  whites,  with  but  few 
exceptions,  depended  upon  the  amount  of  brutality 
that  he  showed  towards  the  negro.  His  word  was  not 
valued  as  highly  as  that  of  the  negro  if  it  was  not  in 
favor  with  that  of  his  employer.  He  lived  in  no  better 
h(^mes,  and  many  of  them  not  as  good  as  the  negro 
quarters.  I  need  not  say  that  they  had  but  little  or 
no  aspirations,  save  that  of  raising  blood  hounds  to 
catch  the  slaves  with  when  they  ran  away.  They 
were  usually  very  illiterate,  many  of  them  had  no 
education  at  all;  they  had  no  association  only  among 
themselves  and  the  negroes.  Their  wives  were  glad 
to  do  the  drudgery  for  that  class  of  whites  who  would 
not  own  slaves.  There  were  no  free  school  systems, 
and  they  had  not  aspirations  enough  to  pay  for  school- 
ing their  children.  When  they  went  before  their 
employer  they  put  their  hats  under  their  arms,  as  any 
negro  would  do,  and  usually  were  as  afraid  of  him  as 
the  negro  was  of  the  overseer.  They  dressed  as 
hideously  as  they  possibly  could  in  order  to  strike 
terror  to  the  heails  of  the  negroes;  they  wore  broad 
brimmed  slouch  hats,  their  pants  down  in  their  boots 
and  a  long  blacksnake  whip  across  their  shoulders; 


22 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


they  trained  their  voices  to  be  as  harsh  as  possible. 
Their  very  appearance  would  cause  one  to  shiver. 
Their  living  was  not  as  good  as  that  of  the  average 
negro,  for  the  slaves  were  industrious  and  w^ould  work 
by  the  light  of  the  moon  to  earn  a  few  pennies,  while 
the  overseer  was  lazy  and  seemed  to  be  satisfied  with 
most  any  kind  of  fare. 

Every  week  he  drew  a  certain  amount  of  fat  meat, 
corn  meal,  and  a  little  fiour  from  his  master's  smoke 
houses  just  the  same  as  the  slaves  did.  He  of  ten  hired 
the  slaves  to  steal  hogs  or  chickens  for  him  and  if 
caught  the  slaves  would  have  to  lake  it  all  upon  them- 
selves in  order  to  keep  the  good  will  of  the  overseer. 
They  used  the  same  dialect  as  the  negro  in  every 
respect.  AVhile  the  negro  looked  for  a  day  of  de- 
liverance the  overseer  looked  for  nothing.  He  was  at 
the  height  of  his  ambition  while  driving  the  negro. 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


23 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Let  us  go  back  to  the  ''great  house"  where  we  left 
my  mother.  She  awoke  Master  Tom  and  thought  she 
would  reach  him  through  his  religious  views,  so  she 
said:  "Master  Tom,  have  you  forgotten  your 
religion?  Have  you  the  heart  to  sell  my  husband 
from  me  and  my  children  after  he  has  served  you  all 
these  days  and  made  you  a  fortune?"  He  said,  ''No, 
Rosy,  I've  nothing  to  do  with  that.  Your  husband  is 
in  the  hands  of  the  state  of  California,  but  I'll  see  that 
he  is  not  taken  out  of  this  state." 

Of  course  he  knevv  that  mother  was  ignorant  as  to 
the  laws  of  the  state,  that  he  would  have  had  to  have 
been  tried  in  the  state  where  the  offense  was  committed 
had  there  been  any  offense,  but  this  was  only  a  pre- 
text he  used  to  rob  her  of  her  husband,  and  her 
children  of  their  father;  the  father  of  his  money  and 
liberty. 

Mother  asked  why  he  was  brought  back  as  a  slave 
when  he  was  buying  himself  and  had  already  paid 
eight  hundred  dollars.  He  told  her  that  father  had 
become  intimate  with  a  white  lady.  (She  could  not 
have  been  a  lady  and  be  intimate  with  a  negro,  and 
that  negro  a  slave.)  After  assuring  mother  that  father 
would  not  again  be  taken  out  of  the  state,  Master 
Tom  wrote  us  a  pass  and  we  went  back  home. 

About  three  a.  m.  mother  concluded  we  had  better 


24 


FROM  LOG  CAiJiN  TO  THE  PlfLIT. 


go  to  the  jail,  so  we  went,  and  saw  father  standing  at 
the  window.  I  called  him  once,  but  he  waved  his 
hand  to  us,  as  if  to  tell  us  some  one  was  down  stairs, 
and  motioned  for  us  to  go  back  home. 

Mother  cooked  a  good  breakfast  for  him,  and  be- 
tween eight  and  nine  o'clock  we  went  back  to  the  negro 
trader's  pen,  but  before  we  got  there  we  heard  singing 
of  two  clases.  Some  religious  songs,  such  as  "God 
has  delivered  Daniel,"  and  other  melodies,  while 
others  were  sin^ino^  the  sonojs  of  the  world,  all  seem- 
ingly  rejoicing  in  their  own  way.  Some  were  rejoic  - 
ing because  they  were  sold,  hoping  to  fall  into  the 
hands  of  better  masters,  while  others  were  rejoicing 
because  of  the  hope  of  meeting  their  mother,  father  or 
child. 

We  knew  exactly  what  that  meant;  we  knew  that 
the  number  was  complete  and  about  to  start  for  Rich- 
mond, and  we  were  not  mistaken,  for  there  were  three 
hundred  men,  women  and  children  ready  to  start  with- 
in thirty  minutes  from  the  time  we  got  there.  We 
hastily  scanned  the  line  over  for  father,  but  he  was 
not  in  that  gang.  But  there  was  a  vehicle  built 
something  like  our  omnibuses,  which  convey  passengers 
from  the  depot,  only  it  was  bailt  of  heavy  oak  boards, 
with  ssaples  driven  in  them.  They  would  handcuff 
men  that  were  valuable  and  men  that  would  not  be 
whipped .  I  .'limbed  upon  the  wheel  of  this  vehicle 
and  saw  father  sitting  with  his  face  buried  in  his 
hands.  As  I  spoke  he  came  to  the  iron  grating  or 
window,  and  asked  where  mother  was.  I  told  him  she 
was  th^re,  then  he  said  to  me,    "William,  never  pull 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


25 


off  your  shirt  to  be  whipped.  I  want  you  to  die  in 
defense  of  your  mother,  for  once  I  lay  in  the  woods 
eleven  months  for  trying  to  prevent  your  mother  from 
being  whipped."  He  shook  my  hands  and  kissed  me 
good  bye  through  the  iron  bars.  Then  three  sisters 
and  two  brothers  climbed  upon  the  wheel  and  bade 
him  good  bye.  Now  the  most  trying  scene  of  all  is  at 
hand.  Mother  climbed  upon  the  wheel  and  father  said, 
''Rosy,  I'm  bound  for  Richmond,  Virginia,  and  from 
there  to  some  Southern  market,  I  don't  know  where. 
We  uiay  nev^er  meet  again  this  side  of  the  shores  of 
time,  but  Rosy,  keep  the  faith  in  God,  and  meet  me  in 
heaven.  I  want  this  one  assurance  from  you  before  we 
part:  I  want  to  know  if  you  believe  the  nhnrge  brought 
against  me,  for  which  they  are  robbing  me  of  my 
li[)erty'^"  My  mother  a-sured  him  she  did  not  believe 
it. 

The  trader  came  up,  ordered  mother  down  from  the 
wheel,  i\ud  the  vehicle  to  start.  Father  kissed  her 
good  bve,  with  a  mutual  agreement  that  they  would 
never  marry  any  one  else,  even  though  they  never  met 
again.  Foriy  years  ]:)assed  into  eternity  from  that  sad 
hour  until  mother's  death,  in  1898,  and  father  and 
mother  never  met  again  until  they  met  on  the  other 
shore. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  sorrow  in  our  home.  It 
was  not  over  three  weeks  from  the  time  that  father 
was  sold  away  until  mother  and  three  children  were 
taken  to  the  great  house,  and  the  other  children  scat- 
tered around  on  the  different  farms.  I  was  taken  into 
the  house  to  wait  on  table. 


26 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


About  a  month  after  I  entered  upon  my  new  occu- 
pation my  master  told  me  one  day,  while  sitting  on 
the  porch,  to  light  his  pipe.  He  smoked  a  pipe  with  a 
long  i-eed  stem  and  would  rest  the  bowl  of  it  on  a 
shelf.  After  1  lit  the  pipe  he  ordered  me  to  bring 
him  a  glass  of  water.  I  went  for  it,  but  on  returning 
I  found  he  had  turned  a  sallow  complexion.  I  spoke 
to  hiai  but  he  did  not  answer.  1  called  old  mistress, 
(this  is  the  way  we  distinguished  her  from  the  children, 
as  we  called  all,  frdra  the  least  to  the  biggest,  mistress 
and  master.)  She  came  and  spoke  to  him,  but  there 
was  no  reply.    He  had  died  sitting  there  in  his  chair. 

It  was  the  custom  among  the  slave  holders  to  have 
the  older  slaves  come  and  view  the  remains  of  their 
masters  or  mistresses  while  they  lay  in  state,  and  if 
the  master  was  a  man  of  any  humanity,  or  what  we 
termed  a  good  master,  they  would  actually  shed  tears 
over  his  body.  So  as  usual,  they  cidled  the  slaves  in, 
but  old  mistress  did  not  know  that  Master  Tom  had 
incurred  the  ill-will  of  every  slave  ou  the  place  by 
selling  father. 

Father  was  almost  a  prophet  among  my  people,  be- 
cause he  secured  all  the  news  through  his  Quaker 
friends,  and  other  white  men  that  were  friendly  to 
him,  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  Then  he  would 
tell  it  to  our  people.  Of  course  the  slaves  held  him  in 
high  esteem,  and  v/hen  Master  Tom  sold  him  they 
never  ag?iin  had  any  good  feeling  for  him.  They  came 
as  usual,  bui  just  outside  the  door  they  wet  their  fin- 
gers with  saliva  and  made  ^-crocodile  tears"  and  passed 
on  pretending  to  l)e  crying,  and  saying,    'Toor  Massa 


FR03I  LOG   CABIN  TO  THE  PirLPIT. 


27 


Tom  is  gone. Of  course  they  didn't  say  where  he 
had  gone. 

This  may  appear  very  deceptive,  but  had  we  not 
made  some  demonstration  of  grief  our  very  lives 
would  have  been  in  danger. 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO   THE  PULPIT, 


CHAPTER  V. 

About  three  weeks  later  they  began  to  look  up  the 
will,  for  boys  then  were  like  a  good  many  are  today, 
just  waiting  for  the  old  man  to  die,  so  they  could  run 
through  with  what  he  had  accnmnlated.  We  have 
many  young  men  of  that  class  today.  They  are  not 
worthy  to  bear  their  father's  name.  It  was  found  in  the 
will  that  mother  and  three  of  the  children  had  fallen 
to  Scott  Co  wens — ^the  meanest  of  all  the  Co  wens 
family.  He  was  a  drunkard  and  a  gambler,  for  he 
had  taken  three  different  women's  sons,  between 
the  ages  of  twelve  and  fourteen  years,  and  gambled 
them  off  and  came  back  home  without  them,  leav- 
ing the  parents  in  anguish.  We  went  to  his  home, 
mother  as  cook,  the  rest  as  servants  in  general. 

We  had  been  there  but  a  few  months  when  he  called 
my  mother  one  day  and  asked  her  why  she  said  'Hhat 
God  had  sent  swift  judgment  upon  his  father."  Of 
course  mother  denied  it,  but  in  her  grief  she  had 
thoughtlessly  said  it,  and  somehow  it  had  reached  hi« 
ears.  He  threatened  mother  very  strongly,  but  didn't 
strike  her. 

He  left  home  one  evening,  telling  me  to  he  ready  to 
accompany  him  when  he  returned.  He  did  not  come 
back  until  the  next  morning.  I  saw  at  once  that  he 
had  been  drinking  heavily.  He  sat  down  to  the 
breakfast  table  and  ordered  me  to  bring  him  a  glass  of 


FROM  LOG   CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


29 


cool  water  right  from  the  spring.  I  put  the  glass  of 
water  in  front  of  him.  He  immediately  picked  it  up 
and  threw  the  water  in  my  face,  saying  ''I  will  show 
you  how  to  bring  me  dirty  water  to  drink." 

One  morning  a  few  days  later,  he  found  fjuilt  with 
the  biscuits  and  asked  me  what  was  the  matter  with 
them.  1  told  him  I  didn't  know .  He  then  jumped 
up  from  the  table  and  called  mother.  We,  from  the 
least  to  the  largest,  were  taught  ^vhen  called  by 
our  mistress,  or  master  to  answer  and  go  toward  that 
voice.  So  mother  was  coming  to  him  and  he  met  her 
on  the  porch,  l)etween  the  kitchen  and  the  dining  room. 
He  asked  mother  why  she  was  crying — I  had  told  her 
about  his  throwing  the  water  in  my  face — and  before 
she  could  answer  him  he  knocked  her  from  the  porch 
to  the  ground.  This  was  more  than  I  could  endure. 
An  ax  handle  was  on  the  opposite  side  from  which 
mother  fell.  He  stood  over  her,  curbing  and  kicking 
her,  and  I  knocked  him  down  with  the  ax  handle 

I  knew  my  only  hope  of  escape  was  to  run  away,  so 
I  started  at  once.  1  had  often  heard  ex-runaway 
slaves,  men  and  women,  tell  the  adventures  of  when 
they  were  in  the  woods  and  about  their  hiding  places 
or  rendezvous.  I  had  heard  it  told  so  often  at  my 
father's  fireside  that  I  knew  almost  directly  where  they 
were,  for  I  had  passed  close  by  them  many  times,  so  I 
started  to  look  for  them.  I  went  to  the  three  mile 
farm,  arriving  there  about  the  time  they  were  going  to 
dinner.  I  went  to  an  old  mother — Ave  were  taught  to 
call  each  old  woman  mother,  and  they  called  us  son  or 
daughter.    It   seemed  there  was  a  natural  bond  oi 


30 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


sympathy  existino^  in  the  heart  of  every  woman  for 
the  children  of  others.  I  told  her  what  I  had  done. 
She  gave  me  a  chunk  of  fat  meat  and  half  of  a  corn 
dodger  and  directed  me  the  way  to  a  hiding  place. 
Then  with  her  hand  upon  my  head  she  pra}  ed  one  of 
those  ferv^ent  prayers  for  God  to  hasten  the  day  when 
the  cruel  chains  of  slavery  would  fall,  and  women's 
children  would  not  be  forced  to  leave  home  and  take 
refuge  among  the  beasts  of  the  forest  for  trying  to 
protect  their  mothers. 

Quite  late  that  night  I  got  opposite  the  hiding  place. 
It  was  a  low  swampy  place  back  of  a  thick  cane  brake. 
It  was  so  dark  and  the  cane  so  thick  when  I  got  to  the 
place  where  I  had  been  directed  to  turn  in  I  was  afraid 
to  venture.  But  as  I  stood  there  I  imagined  I  could 
hear  the  baying  of  blood  hounds,  and  so  strong  was 
the  imagination  that  it  drove  me  in.  I  had  several 
things  to  fear,  for  that  country  was  infested  with  bears. 
More  than  once  J  had  seen  a  bear  come  out  of  a  corn 
field  with  his  arms  full  of  corn,  go  up  to  the  fence  and 
throw  it  over,  get  over,  pick  it  up  like  a  man,  and 
walk  oJff.  Then  we  had  reptiles,  such  as  water  mocca- 
sins and  rattle  snakes.  Sometimes  1  could  walk  up- 
right, sometimes  I  was  compelled  to  crawl  through  the 
cane.  About  three  o'clock  the  next  morning  I  came 
out  of  the  cane  brake  on  the  banks  of  a  large  pond  of 
almost  stagnant  water.  I  could  see  the  rocky  mound 
or  cave  that  I  had  heard  so  much  talk  of. 

There  was  no  boat  around  and  I  was  afraid  to  go 
into  the  water,  but  the  same  impulse  that  drove  me 
into  the  cane  brake  caused  me  to  go  into  the  water. 


FROM  LOG  CASES'  TO)   THE  PULPIT. 


31 


With  a  Ions:  reed  for  a  stati  I  ^aded  into  the  water 
until  I  heard  the  voice  of  a  man,  in  the  real  coarse 
negro  dialect,  "'who  is  datr*  My  hair  was  not  extreme- 
ly long,  yet  it  seemed  so  to  me.  as  I  imagined  I  felt 
my  hat  going  up.  and  I  answered.  **dis  is  me."  lOf 
course  he  knew  who  "me"  was.  )  He  then  began  to 
question  me  as  to  my  name  and  my  parents'  name.  It 
was  necessary  for  him  to  be  very  cautious  whom  he  l- 
mitted.  because  white  men  often  disguised  themselves 
and  played  the  role  of  a  runaway,  and  in  this  wfiy 
many  runaways  had  been  captured.  I  finally  succeed- 
ed in  convincing  him  that  I  was  nor  a  spy  bat  nn  act- 
ual runaway.  Then  he  allowed  me  to  advance,  and  as 
I  sat  on  the  top  of  the  rocky  mound  with  him  he 
prayed  long  and  earnestlv  for  the  time  to  come  when 
God  would  raise  up  a  'ieliverer  to  lead  us  in  some  way 
out  of  bondage.  And  while  he  was  thus  praying  I 
heard  this  peculiar  sound,  **gaw  goo."  The  old  man 
saw  I  was  in  a  terrible  dilemma,  and  he  said,  "son, 
}  ou  need  not  be  uneasy,  that  is  only  some  men  below 
snoring.  "  In  a  few  minutes  I  looked  across  the  field 
and  saw  two  men  coming  with  poles  on  their  backs, 
and  I  got  excited  again,  and  called  his  attention  to  the 
fact.  He  assured  me  that  they  were  men  who  had 
beeo  off  seeking  food.    They  were  stealing. 

Our  people  in  those  days  were  naturally  good  hun- 
ters, but  never  shot  anything  larger  than  a  coon  nor 
smaller  than  a  chicken,  always  good  on  the  wing  with 
the  latter.  They  threw  their  game  down.  It  consist- 
ed of  some  fat  hens  and  meat  they  had  returned  to 
their  homes  and  secured. 


32 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


There  was  always  an  understanding  between  the 
slaves,  that  if  one  ran  away  they  would  put  something 
to  eat  at  a  certain  place;  also  a  mowing  scythe,  with 
the  crooked  handle  replaced  with  a  straight  stick  with 
which  to  fight  the  bloodhounds. 

The  cook  came  out,  made  a  hot  fire  of  hickory  bark, 
thoroughly  wet  the  chickens  and  wrapped  them  in 
cabbage  leaves  and  put  them  in  the  bed  of  ashes;  then 
he  proceeded  to  make  his  bread  by  mixing  the  corn 
meal  in  an  old  wooden  tray  and  forming  it  into  dodg- 
ers, rolling  them  in  cabbage  leaves  and  baking  in  the 
ashes.  These  are  known  as  ash  cakes,  the  most 
nutritious  bread  ever  eaten.  Of  course  the  chickens 
retained  all  their  nutriment  because  the  intestines  had 
not  been  taken  out  of  them.  But  now  he  returned  to 
them  and  catching  them  by  both  feet  he  stripped  the 
•jkin  and  feathers  off,  then  took  the  intestines  out  and 
put  red  pepper  and  salt  in  them  and  then  returned 
them  to  the  oven  to  brown.  Parched  some  corn  meal 
for  coffee.  Breakfast  being  ready,  the  guests  came 
from  the  sleeping  place,  fifteen  in  number,  the  two 
huntsmen  made  seventeen,  the  old  man  and  mvself 
making  nineteen  in  all,  all  runaways. 

Among  them  was  a  man  named  Frank  Anderson.  His 
father,  James  Anderson,  a  white  man  of  Wilmington, 
was  his  master.  Yet  he  was  a  runaway  slave,  with  a 
standing  reward  of  one  hundred  dollars  for  his  head. 

He  had  been  a  fugitive  eleven  months,  and  had 
stripes  on  his  back  like  the  ridges  of  a  wash  board, 
put  there  by  his  father's  overseer  and  by  the  command 
of  that  father,  simply  because  he  had  so  much  of  his 
father's  blood  in  him  that  he  would  not  allow  them  to 
lacerate  his  back  only  when  they  overpowered  him. 


Miss  Florence  Mitchell,  Secretary, 
Louisville,  Ky. 


34:  FKOM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


CHAPTER  yi. 

Uncle  Amos,  as  the  watchmau  was  called,  was  a 
prophet  among  us.  He  would  watch  every  night,  and 
took  me  as  his  companion,  as  I  was  the  only  boy.  So 
r  slept  in  the  day  and  watched  with  him  at  night.  He 
was  a  great  astrologer,  although  he  could  not  read  a 
word;  but  strange  to  say,  he  would  go  out  and  lie  flat 
on  his  back  and  watch  the  moon  and  stars,  go  through 
some  peculiar  movement  with  his  hands,  then  the  next 
morning  he  could  tell  almost  anything  you  wanted  to 
know.    Many  times  it  came  just  as  he  prophesied. 

One  morning,  after  I  had  been  to  the  hiding  place 
about  three  weeks,  the  runaways  inquired,  as  w^as  the 
custom,  ' 'if  everything  was  all  right,  or  what  would 
happen."  If  he  answered  them  in  the  afl&rmative, 
they  were  perfectl}^  satistied  with  his  decision.  But 
on  this  memorable  morning  he  told  them  that  we 
would  have  to  get  away  at  once,  for  if  we  did  not  we 
would  be  attacked  within  three  days  by  negro  hunters, 
for  said  he,  "God  has  shown  me  the  hounds  and  the 
men,  and  that  some  one  will  lose  his  lite  if  the  attack  is 
made  here." 

So  they  decided  to  go  to  another  rendezvous  four- 
teen miles  away.  Uncle  Amos  advised  each  one  to  get 
his  weapon  in  shape,  and  get  provisions  enough  that 
night  to  last  a  few  days,  or  until  they  learned  some- 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


35 


thing  aboat  the  country  surrounding  the  other  hiding 
place. 

When  men  ran  away,  if  in  the  day,  they  returned  at 
night  and  secured  a  mowing  scythe  and  took  the  crook- 
ed handle  off  and  put  a  straight  handle  on  it.  Then 
they  made  a  scabbard  of  bark,  and  would  swing  their 
saber  to  their  side.  This  was  to  tight  blood  hounds 
with,  and  if  the  negro  hunters  got  too  close,  many 
times  they  were  hew  ndown. 

On  that  night  three  different  parties  were  out  forag- 
ing, and  returned  with  considerable  provisions.  But 
the  next  morning,  while  we  were  eating  breakfast, 
negro  hunters  suddenly  appeared  with  shot  guns  and 
drawn  revolvers,  and  demanded  every  one  of  us  to 
wade  over  to  them.  They  had  negro  men  to  hold 
the  hounds  and  eut  the  cane  so  they  could  pass  through. 
These  men  had  worked  noiselessly  all  night,  cutting 
the  way  through  the  cane. 

I  told  Uncle  Amos  several  times  that  I  thought  I 
heard  something,  but  he  seemed  to  think  it  more  fear 
in  me  than  reality,  and  he  failed  to  give  the  proper 
attention. 

We  all  jumped  to  our  feet,  with  instructions  from 
the  old  man  to  march  over  in  a  body,  and  each  choose 
his  man  and  dog  to  cut  down  when  they  reached  the 
other  shore,  but  the  hunter's  were  on  the  alert  and  de- 
manded all  to  stand  in  a  row,  then  march  over  one  at 
a  time.  One  of  the  hunters  said  to  Frank  Anderson, 
'^if  you  run  I'll  blow  your  brains  out."  We  formed  a 
line  and  in  a  moment  Frank  Anderson  bounded  off 
like  a  deer.    We  heard  the  crack  of  a  gun,  saw  Frank 


36 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


throw  up  both  his  hands  and  fall,  and  in  a  minute  he 
lay  cold  in  death.  Murdered  because  he  wouldn't  con- 
sent to  be  tied  up  and  whipped  when  he  was  late  re- 
turning home  from  a  Saturday  night  dance. 

One  by  one  we  all  marched  over  and  were  hand- 
cuffed to  each  other  and  marched  off  to  the  road,  and 
the  colored  men  who  were  with  the  hunters  carried 
Prank  over  and  put  him  in  the  mule  cart  which  they 
had  with  them,  and  he  could  be  tracked  for  thirteen 
miles  by  the  blood  which  dropped  through  the  cracks 
in  the  cart.  His  father  rode  over  the  sand  stained  by 
the  blood  of  his  son,  whom  he  had  commanded  to  be 
murdered. 

This  is  but  a  small  portion  of  the  horrors  through 
which  my  people  passed.  No  tongue  has  ever  been 
able  to  utter,  nor  has  the  pen  been  forged  that  can  pen 
the  horrors  through  which  my  people  have  passed. 
But  they  kept  a  constant  knocking  by  faith  at  mercy's 
door,  until  God  moved  in  his  mighty  power  and 
touched  the  heart  of  Lincoln,  who  was  a  type  of  a 
second  Moses,  through  whom  he  delivered  us.  They 
surrendered  ns  to  the  jailor  or  keeper  of  the  negro 
pen.  There  was  no  jail  after  all,  only  negro  pens  for 
slaves.  If  a  poor  white  man  transgressed  the  law, 
they  simply  took  what  he  had  and  gave  him  time  to 
get  out  of  the  country.  The  Lords,  who  were  our 
masters,  hoodwinked  the  law.  If  the  negro  trans- 
gressed, he  paid  the  penalty  with  a  lacerated  back, 
from  fifty  to  three  hundred  lashes.  So  you  see  there 
was  no  need  for  jails,  only  negro  pens  where  slaves 
were  bought  and  sold  as  goods  and  chattels. 


FEOM  LOG  CABIX  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


37 


These  men  received  for  capturing  us  the  paltry  sum 
of  three  dollars  per  head  as  the  reward  for  the  capture 
of  runaway  negroes,  and  the  additional  two  hundred 
offered  for  the  head  of  Frank  Anderson,  which  had 
been  a  standing  reward  from  his  master,  as  he  couldn't 
be  captured  in  the  first  six  months  after  he  ran  away. 
This  was  equivalent  to  his  father's  saying  that  it  was 
better  his  own  son  should  die  than  have  all  the  other 
negroes  spoiled.  Xearly  all  of  us  were  struck  thirty- 
nine  lashes  according  to  the  law,  then  returned  to  our 
several  masters. 

For  some  cause  I  was  among  the  few  exempted  from 
the  thirty-nine  lashes.  My  master  paid  the  stipulated 
amount  of  three  dollars  and  ordered  me  home.  I 
walked  off  in  front  of  him  under  a  storm  of  oaths  and 
threats,  and  expecting  him  to  kick  me  or  knock  me 
down  at  every  step.    But  I  was  agreeably  disappointed. 


Rev.  W.  H.  Robinson 
AND  Daughter,  Marguerite. 


FROX  LOG  CABIX  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


39 


CHAPTER  VII. 

When  I  arrived  home  I  found  that  my  mother,  one 
brother  and  one  sister  that  were  with  her  when  I  left, 
had  been  sold  to  negro  traders,  and  three  brothers  who 
fell  to  Hezekiah  Cowens  were  also  sold  away,  and  no 
one  could  tel]  me  anything  about  their  whereabouts. 
Of  course  my  master  wouldn't  tell  me.  This  was  the 
hour  of  great  sorrow  and  distress  with  me.  My  mas- 
ter gave  me  the  task  of  piling  up  stove  wood,  and  for 
three  weeks  nearly  every  stick  of  wood  I  picked  up 
was  wet  with  tears  of  grief  and  sorrow,  weeping  for 
that  mother  who  was  the  best  friend  on  earth  to  me, 
and  for  my  brothers  and  sisters,  and  expecting  every 
day  to  be  whipped.  And  this  suspense  was  one  of  the 
most  severe  punishments  or  whippings  I  could  have 
undergone. 

There  was  another  old  vvoman  whom  I  called  mother, 
doing  the  cooking.  One  day  at  the  expiration  of  the 
third  week,  master  sent  me  to  the  store  to  get  some 
goods,  and  in  the  packages  there  was  a  cow-hide  in  its 
crude  state,  but  I  didn't  see  it  wrapped  up.  After 
unwrapping  the  cow-hide  my  master  asked  me  how  I 
liked  the  looks  of  it.  I  told  him  that  I  didn't  like  it 
at  all.  We  were  in  his  bed  room.  He  stood  between 
me  and  the  door.  His  wife  came  in  with  his  decanter 
of  whiskey,  glass  and  water  and  he  locked  the  door, 
then  demanded  me  to  pull  off  my  shirt.    I  had  not 


40 


FKOM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


forgotten  the  promise  I  made  my  father,  so  1  fully 
made  up  my  mind  to  tight  him  until  1  got  a  chance  to 
jump  out  of  the  window.  But  I  looked  toward  the 
bureau  and  saw  an  old  fashioned  pistol  which  you 
load  from  the  muzzle  and  Hred  with  a  cap.  My  master 
was  standing  very  close  to  this  and  the  sight  of  it 
knocked  all  the  manhood  out  of  me,  so  I  reluctantly 
pulled  off  my  shirt  with  their  assistance,  and  he  tied 
my  hands  behind  me,  my  feet  together,  and  ran  a 
stick  between  them.  This  left  me  in  a  doubled  up 
position  on  the  floor.  He  whipped  and  cursed  me 
until  he  had  cut  my  back  to  pieces.  My  mistress  tried 
to  take  the  whip  from  him,  but  he  pushed  her  away  so 
violently  that  once  she  fell  on  the  floor.  The  second 
time  she  fell  on  the  bed,  but  had  secured  the  whip. 
He  gave  me  a  kick  in  my  side,  from  which  I  have 
never  recovered,  and  staggered  from  the  room,  being 
too  drunk  to  whip  me  any  more.  His  wife  untied  me 
and  at  the  same  time  the  old  mother  came  to  the  door 
and  said,  '^Master  Scott,  I  came  here  to  break  this 
door  open,  for  it's  a  shame  for  any  woman's  son 
to  be  cut  up  as  you  have  done  that  child. "  He  knocked 
the  old  lady  down.  1  went  up  stairs  and  lay  down 
on  my  stomach  with  my  face  across  my  arms.  The  next 
morning  when  I  awoke  the  blood  had  dried  the  shirt 
in  the  wounds  on  my  back.  The  cook  had  to  grease 
the  shirt  so  as  to  get  it  out  of  the  wounds.  Then  he 
gave  her  medicine  to  heal  my  back.  Every  day  after 
this  when  I  would  go  to  pile  up  wood  I  had  to  stoop 
my  whole  bod}^,  for  my  back  was  so  sore  that  Tcouldn't 
bend  it,  and  if  I  had  not  been  so  young  (I  was  only 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


4:1 


eleven  years,)  the  marks  would  have  been  visible  until 
now,  and  like  many  other  slaves,  I  would  have  carried 
them  to  judgment  as  a  testimony  agaiast  him. 

After  four  or  five  weeks,  when  my  back  had  become 
somewhat  healed  up,  he  told  me  one  day  if  any  one 
asked  me  if  I  had  ever  been  whipped  to  tell  them  no. 
Is  it  not  a  wonder  that  negroes  are  not  inveterate 
thieves  and  liars?  They  worked  all  the  week  for  their 
masters,  with^  poij-  a_peck  of  meal  and  three  pounds  of 
fat  bacon,  and  after  each  day's  labor  they  were  compell- 
ed to  go  to  their  masters  smoke  house  or  chicken 
roost  and  steal  enough  to  subsist  upon  the  next  dRv,  to 
do  that  master's  w^ork,  then,  after  this  master  had  cut 
his  back  all  to  pieces  he  would  compel  him  to  tell  a 
lie  in  order  to  sell  him.  But,  thank  Grod,  we,  like  other 
nations,  are  born  with  the  same  natural  instinct  that 
others  are,  and  although  manhood  was  crushed  for 
two  hundred  and  forty  odd  years,  yet,  with  the  same 
surroundings  and  opportunities  to  develop  them,  w^e 
have  risen  above  our  environments. 

One  afternoon  five  negro  traders  came;  my  master 
called  me,  met  me  at  the  door,  and  repeated  his 
former  command  '4f  any  one  asked  me  bad  1  been 
whipped,  to  tell  them  no."  I  walked  into  the  parlor; 
there  sat  five  men  wearing  broad  brimmed  straw  hats, 
their  pants  in  their  boots  and  a  black  snake  whip 
across  their  shoulders.  The  first  question  they  ad- 
dressed to  me  was,  had  I  ever  been  whipped.  I  sus- 
pect I  was  too  slow  in  speaking,  for  the  punishment 
had  been  too  severe,  and  was  too  fresh  in  my  memory 
for  me  to  tell  a  lie  on  the  spur  of  the  moment.    I  had 


42 


FKOM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


on  a  long  straight  gown  which  reached  to  my  feet. 
The  trader  raised  that  and  looked  at  my  back  and 
that  told  the  story.  They  offered  my  master  a  small 
price  for  me,  he  refused  it,  and  they  left.  I  remained 
with  him  about  three  or  four  weeks  longer,  when 
one  day  he  wrote  a  note  and  sent  me  to  the  trader's 
pen.  The  keeper,  Mr.  Howard,  read  it  and  told  me 
to  take  it  back  to  James,  the  negro  turnkey,  who  also 
did  all  the  whipping  in  the  jail.  He  ordered  me  put 
in  a  cell  and  closed  the  big  iron  door,  which  told  me 
that  I  was  bound  for  Richmond,  or  some  other  slave 
market,  and  I  was  truly  glad,  for  I  now  hated  the  soil 
upon  which  I  was  born. 

I  was  in  the  trader^s  pen  about  three  weeks.  There 
were  from  one  to  ten  slaves  brought  in  every  day.  All 
of  my  brothers  and  sisters  save  two  had  been  sold  from 
Wilmington.  Other  slaveholders  passing  through  had 
bought  them,  and  it  was  said  they  were  taken  to 
Georgia.  At  the  end  of  three  weeks  the  gang  of  three 
hundred  and  fifty  was  made  up  and  we  were  chained 
and  started  for  Richmond,  Virginia.  In  this  gang 
was  a  woman  named  Fannie  Woods.  She  had  two 
children,  the  oldest  about  eight  years,  the  other 
nursing  baby.  She  was  not  handcuffed  as  the  others 
were,  but  tied  above  the  elbow  so  she  could  shift  the 
nursing  baby  in  her  arms.  She  led  the  older  one  by 
the  hand.  The  first  half  of  the  day  the  little  boy  kept 
up  pretty  well ;  after  that  he  became  a  hindrance  in  the 
march.  The  trader  came  back  several  times  and  or- 
dered her  to  keep  up.  She  told  him  she  was  doing 
the  best  she  could.    He  threatened  each  time  to  whip 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


43 


her  if  she  did  not  keep  up,  and  finally  he  ordered  a 
negro,  a  ^^trong  muscalar  man  six  feet  in  height,  who 
went  along  to  give  us  water  and  help  drive,  to  untie 
her,  made  her  give  the  baby  to  another  woman,  then 
ordered  her  to  take  off  her  waist.  They  buckled  a 
strap  around  each  wrist  and  strapped  her  to  a  large 
pine  tree  less  than  ten  feet  from  the  rest  of  us,  and 
with  a,  blacksnake  whip  the  colored  man  was  made  to 
hit  her  fifty  lashes  on  her  bare  back.  The  blood  ran 
down  as  water,  but  she  never  uttered  a  sound.  She 
was  ordered  to  put  on  her  waist.  They  retied  her 
and  told  her  to  see  if  they  could  keep  up. 

After  going  a  few  miles  farther  they  sold  the  little 
boy  she  was  leading  to  a  man  along  the  way.  I  heard 
the  wails  of  the  mother  and  the  mourning  of  the  other 
slaves  on  accimnt  of  her  sorrow,  and  heard  the  gruff 
voice  of  the  trader  as  he  ordered  them  to  shut  up. 
We  marched  until  nine  or  ten  o'clock,  when  we  came 
to  a  boarding  house  that  was  kept  especially  for  the 
accommodation  of  negro  traders.  This  was  a  large 
Igg  house  of  one  room,  about  eighteen  by  twenty  feet, 
with  staples  driven  in  all  around  the  room  and  hand- 
cuffs attached  to  chains  about  four  feet  long.  They 
would  handcuff'  two  or  three  slaves  to  each  chain.  In 
the  summer  they  had  nothing  but  the  bare  fioor  to  lie 
upon;  in  the  winter  straw  was  put  upon  the  floor. 
There  was  a  very  large  fire  place  in  this  room. 

We  stopped  at  this  boarding  house.  This  was  our 
first  night's  stop  after  leaving  Wilmington.  The  keep- 
er of  the  boarding  house  tried  to  buy  Fannie  Wood's 
baby,  but  there  was   a  disagreement  regarding  the 


44 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


price.  About  five  the  next  morning  we  started  on. 
When  we  had  gone  about  half  a  mile  a  colored 
boy  came  running  down  the  road  with  a  message  from 
his  master,  and  we  were  halted  until  his  master  came 
bringing  a  colored  woman  with  him,  and  he  bought 
the  baby  out  of  Fannie  Woods'  arms.  As  the  colored 
woman  was  ordered  to  take  it  away  I  heard  Fannie 
Woods  cry,  ^'Oh  God,  I  would  rather  hear  the  clods 
fall  on  the  coffin  lid  of  my  child  than  to  hear  its  cries 
because  it  is  taken  from  me."  She  said,  "good  bye, 
child."  We  were  ordered  to  move  on,  and  could  hear 
the  crying  of  the  child  in  the  distance  as  it  was  borne 
away  by  the  other  woman,  and  I  could  hear  the  deep 
sobs  of  a  broken  hearted  mother.  We  could  hear  the 
groans  of  many  as  they  prayed  for  God  to  have  mercy 
upon  us,  and  give  us  grace  to  endure  the  hard  trials 
through  which  we  must  pass. 

We  marched  all  that  day,  and  the  second  and  third 
nights  we  stopped  in  the  same  kind  of  a  place  as  the 
first  night.  They  were  buying  and  selling  all  along 
the  way,  so  when  we  reached  Richmond  about  ten  o'clock 
the  fourth  night,  there  were  about  four  hundred  and 
fifty  of  us,  footsore,  hungry  and  broken-hearted. 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT.  45 


CHAPTER  Vin. 

TTe  were  taken  to  Lee's  negro  traders'  auction 
pen,  which  was  a  very  large  "brick  structure  with  a 
hisfh  brick  wall  all  around  it.  A  very  larofe  hall  ran 
through  the  center.  There  was  no  furniture  in  it,  not 
even  a  chair  to  sit  upon.  In  this  pen  the  handcuffs 
were  taken  off  for  the  first  time  since  we  left  home. 
There  were  possibly  three  or  four  hundred  in  there 
when  we  arriyed.  Many  found  relatiyes.  One  wo- 
man found  her  husband  who  had  been  sold  from  her 
three  or  four  years  before.  But  I  was  not  so  fortu- 
nate as  to  find  any  of  my  people. 

The  next  morning  the  back  door  was  open  and  we 
went  down  to  wash.  There  were  three  or  fouu  pumps 
in  the  yard  and  long  troughs  near  each.  Some  one 
would  pump  these  troughs  full  of  water  and  we  would 
wash  our  faces  and  hands.  There  were  no  towels  to 
wipe  on,  so  some  woman  would  giye  us  her  apron  or 
dress  skirt  to  dry  our  faces  with.  We  then  waited 
for  our  breakfast.  The  cooks  handed  out  our  tin  pans 
with  cabbage,  or  beans  and  corn  bread,  without  knife, 
fork  or  spoon.  Many  haying  been  sold  before,  and 
knowing  how  they  would  fare,  carried  such  things 
with  them.  TTe  sat  around  on  the  fioor  and  ate  our 
breakfast,  after  which  we  were  ordered  into  a  long 
hall,  where  we  found  wire  cards,  such  as  are  used  for 
wool,  flax  or  hemp.    We  were  ordered  to  comb  our 


46 


FKOM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


hair  with  them .  Of  course  when  we  started  we  had 
on  our  best  clothes,  Avhich  consisted  of  a  pair  of  hemp 
pants  and  cotton  shirt;  most  of  us  were  barefoot. 
The  women,  and  sometimes  the  men,  wore  red  cotton 
bandanas  on  their  heads.  After  our  toilets  were  com- 
pleted we  were  ordered  into  a  little  ten  by  twelve 
room;  we  went  in,  ten  or  twelve  at  once.  There  were 
five  or  six  young  ladies  in  the  gang  I  went  in  with. 
The  traders,  forgetting  the  sacredness  of  their  own 
mothers  and  sisters,  paid  no  respect  to  us,  but  com- 
pelled each  one  of  us  to  undress,  so  as  to  see  if  we 
were  sound  and  healthy.  I  heard  Fannie  Woods  as 
she  pleaded  to  be  exempt  from  this  exposure.  They 
gave  her  to  understand  that  they  would  have  her  hit 
one  hundred  lashes  if  she  did  not  get  her  clothes  off  at 
once.  She  still  refused,  and  when  they  tried  to  take 
them  off  by  force,  fought  them  until  they  finally  let 
her  alone. 

After  this  humiliating  ordeal  of  examination  was 
over  we  went  into  the  auction  room.  This  was  a 
large  room  about  forty  by  sixty  feet,  with  benches 
around  the  sides,  where  we  were  permitted  to  sit  until 
our  turn  came  to  get  on  the  auction  block.  The 
auctioneering  began  about  nine  o'clock  each  day  and 
lasted  until  noon,  began  again  at  one  o'clock  and  con- 
tinued until  five  p.  m.  This  was  a  perpetual  business 
every  day  in  the  year,  and  the  prices  were  quoted  on 
the  bulletin  and  in  the  papers  the  same  as  our  stock 
and  wheat  are  quoted  today.  At  these  sales  we  could 
find  the  best  people  of  the  South  buying  and  selling. 

I  remember  when  I  got  on  the  block,  the  first  bid 


FKOM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


47 


Tvas  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  It  went  up  to 
seven  hundred,  when  the  bidding  ceased.  The  negro 
trader  went  to  the  auctioneer  and  told  him  that  I  came 
from  the  Madagascar  tribe,  and  that  my  father  was  an 
engineer  and  a  skilled  mechanic.  Then  the  bidding  be- 
came brief.  I  recall  that  the  auctioneer  said,  '  'right 
and  title  guaranteed,"  as  he  slapped  me  on  the  head, 
then  continued  by  saying  ''he's  sound  as  a  silver  dol- 
lar." I  was  knocked  off  at  eleven  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars. 

A  poor  man  in  East  Virginia,  named  William  Scott, 
bought  me,  paying  four  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  cash 
and  giving  a  mortgage  on  his  sixty  acres  of  land,  his 
stock  and  everything  he  owned,  including  one  colored 
girl,  whom  he  had  bought  four  years  before.  The 
next  morning  after  I  was  sold  they  brought  a  man  to 
the  traders'  pen  to  be  whipped.  This  man  would  not 
allow  his  overseer  to  whip  him.  He  had  chains  on  him 
that  looked  as  though  they  were  welded  on.  They 
took  him  upstairs  in  the  big  building  where  there  were 
about  seven  or  eight  hundred  men,  women  and  child- 
ren. It  was  about  noon  and  they  left  him  handcuffed 
while  they  went  to  dinner.  He  explained  to  us  why 
they  were  about  to  whip  him.  He  had  gone  to  church 
without  a  pass  on  two  occasions  and  refused  to  allow 
his  master  to  whip  him  for  so  doing.  His  master  de- 
clared he  would  whip  him  or  kill  him.  They  took  the 
irons  off,  and  ordered  him  to  strip  himself  of  all  of 
his  clothing.  He  promptly  did  so.  His  master  said, 
"you  might  just  as  well  have  done  this  at  home  and 
you  might  have  gotten  off  with  a  few  hundred  lashes." 


48 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


But  to  their  surprise,  when  they  told  him  to  lie  down, 
he  began  to  knock  men  down  right  and  left,  with  his 
feet  and  hands.  Many  went  down  before  him.  Then 
they  picked  out  ten  or  twelve  strong  colored  men, 
made  them  run  in  upon  him,  and  though  he  knocked 
many  of  them  down  they  were  too  many  for  him,  so 
they  overpowered  him,  and  with  straps  fastened  him 
taut  upon  the  floor  to  six  strong  rings.  These  rings 
were  arranged  in  two  rows  of  three  rings  each,  op- 
posite each  other  and  covering  a  space  something  over 
six  feet  in  length. 

Then  his  master,  with  four  or  five  other  men,  came 
up  to  see  him  whipped,  one  man  with  his  tally  book, 
and  a  negro  with  his  black  snake  whip  and  paddle; 
they  brought  their  demijohn  of  whiskey,  each  one  tak- 
ing a  drink  before  they  began  their  bloody  work. 
They  even  gave  the  negro  who  was  compelled  to  do 
the  whipping,  a  drink.  After  they  were  well  drunk 
the  whipping  began.  One  man  would  count  out  until 
he  counted  nine,  then  with  the  tenth  he  would  cry 
tally.  When  the  whipping  first  began  the  slave  would 
not  say  a  word,  but  after  awhile  as  they  cut  his  back 
all  to  pieces,  he  would  cry  out,  "pray,  master,"  and  in 
this  way  he  pleaded  for  mercy  until  he  grew  so  weak 
he  could  not  utter  a  word.  They  gave  him  three  hun- 
dred lashes,  then  washed  his  back  with  salt  water  and 
paddled  it  with  a  leather  paddle  about  the  size  of  a 
man^s  hand,  with  six  holes  in  it.  As  they  paddled  him 
it  sounded  as  a  dead  thud;  you  could  hardly  hear  him 
grunt  as  each  lick  fell  upon  him.  He  was  whipped 
from  head  to  foot  and  the  floor,  where  he  was  lying  was 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO   THE  PULPIT. 


49 


a  pool  of  blood  when  the  brutal  work  was  ended.  His 
master  congratulated  the  negro  whipping  master  for 
the  way  he  accomplished  his  part  of  the  work,  gave 
him  another  big  drink  of  whiskey  and  ordered  him  to 
untie  the  man. 

They  all  went  down  stairs  and  the  other  colored 
people  who  were  in  the  room  put  the  man's  clothing 
on  him.  This  was  late  in  the  afternoon.  The  next 
morning  when  I  aw^oke  I  saw  the  men  and  women 
kneeling  around  in  a  circle,  praying,  groaning  and 
crying.  1  walked  up  and  looked  to  see  what  the 
trouble  was,  and  I  found  the  man  they  had  whip- 
ped the  day  before  cold  in  death.  He  was  swollen  so 
that  his  clothing  had  bursted  off.  A  jury  of  white 
men  came  up  and  held  a  mock  inquest.  I  never  heard 
what  the  verdict  was.  The  colored  men  came  with  a 
mule  cart,  rolled  him  up  in  a  sheet  and  took  him  to 
his  last  resting  place. 

I  stayed  in  this  trader's  pen  three  days  after  my  new 
master  bought  me,  and  during  this  time  I  saw  hun- 
dreds of  mothers  separated  from  their  children.  I 
heard  the  wail  of  many  a  child  for  its  mother,  and  of 
the  mother  for  her  child.  While  one  buyer  had  the 
mother,  going  in  one  direction,  another  with  the  child 
would  be  going  the  opposite  way.  I  saw  husband  and 
wife  bidding  each  other  farewell  and  sisters  and  brothers 
being  separated.  There  could  not  have  been  any 
darker  days  to  them  than  these;  it  was  with  them  as  it 
was  with  Job,  when  he  spake  in  the  Third  Chapter  of 
Job,  and  said: 

"Let  the  day  perish  wherein  I  was  born,  and  the 


50 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


night  in  which  it  is  said  there  is  a  man  child  conceived, 
let  that  day  be  darkness;  let  not  God  regard  it  from 
above,  neither  let  the  light  shine  upon  it." 

"Let  darkness  and  the  shadow  of  death  stain  it;  let 
a  cloud  d^vell  upon  it,  let  the  blackness  of  the  day 
terrif}^  it.  As  for  that  night,  let  darkness  seize  upon 
it;  let  it  not  be  joined  unto  the  days  of  the  year,  let  it 
not  come  into  the  number  of  the  months.  Lo,  let  that 
night  be  solitary,  let  no  joyful  voice  come  therein. 
Let  them  curse  it  that  curse  the  day,  who  are  ready  to 
raise  up  their  mourning.  Let  the  stars  of  the  twi- 
light thereof  be  dark;  )et  it  look  for  light,  but  have 
none,  neither  let  it  see  the  dawning  of  the  day;  be- 
cause it  shut  not  up  the  doors  of  my  mother's  womb, 
nor  hid  sorrow  from  mine  eyes." 

These  were  the  lamentations  of  the  poor  slaves,  but 
still  they  prayed  for  the  dawn  and  light  of  a  better 
day.  Like  Israel,  many  looked  long  and  eagerly  for  free- 
dom but  died  without  the  sight.  Thank  God,  over  three 
million  lived  to  see  the  sunlight  in  all  its  brilliancy,  and 
we  can  now  look  back  and  say:  "The  Lord  has  done 
great  things  for  us,  whereof  we  are  glad." 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


51 


CHAPTER  IX. 

On  the  fourth  morning  after  I  was  sold,  I  got  on  the 
horse  behind  my  new  master.  I  had  a  handcuff  on  my 
right  wrist,  with  a  chain  extending  down  to  my  right 
foot  and  locked  around  my  ankle.  We  rode  until  late 
in  the  afternoon,  when  we  stopped  at  a  hotel.  He 
chained  me  to  the  porch  and  left  me  until  after  supper 
time;  then  gave  me  a  piece  of  bread  and  meat,  and  left 
me  until  about  ten  o'clock  at  night,  while  he  talked. 
Then  he  came  after  me  and  we  went  up  stairs  to  his 
room.  He  chained  me  to  his  bedpost,  and  gave  me  a 
quilt  to  lie  on  by  the  side  of  his  bed,  on  the  floor. 

The  next  morning  we  had  breakfast  by  daylight  and 
started  again  on  our  journey;  to  my  surprise  he  didn't 
handcuff  me  this  time.  He  talked  very  freely  with 
me,  told  me  he  had  a  nice  girl  and  if  I  acted  all  right 
we  would  halve  a  good  time,  and  he  would  soon  buy 
my  mother  and  father,  when  the  poor  fellow  .  was  not 
able  to  buy  me;  he  had  just  finished  paying  the  mort- 
gage which  he  gave  when  he  bought  the  girl,  and  re- 
mortgaged  to  buy  me.  About  nine  o'clock  the  suc- 
ceeding night  we  arrived  home;  when  quite  a  distance 
from  the  house  he  called  out  in  a  loud  voice  for  Fanny 
to  open  the  gate.  As  we  neared  the  gate,  she  threw 
it  open.  I  had  ridden  until  my  limbs  would  not  hold 
me  up  when  I  slid  off  the  horse,  so  I  fell  prostrate 
upon  the  ground,  but  with  the  assistance  of  the  girl 
and  my  master,  I  was  able  to  get  on  my  feet. 


52 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


His  residence  was  a  large  log  building  of  one  room. 
He  left  me  at  the  door  and  told  me  to  stay  there  until 
he  called  me.  Now,  it  was  a  custom  with  my  people, 
when  a  white  man  went  on  the  inside  and  closed  the 
door  and  left  a  black  man,  woman  or  child  outside, 
just  so  sure  a  black  ear  went  to  the  key  hole.  I  didn't 
w^ant  to  make  an  exception  to  this  rule,  so  when  he 
went  in,  my  ear  went  to  the  key  hole.  After  the 
usual  mode  of  family  greeting  of  a  man  that  had  been 
away  from  home  a  week  or  ten  days,  he  said:  '  'The 
one  who  guesses  what  I  have  brought,  may  have  it.'' 
The  oldest  boy  said,  ''A  pair  of  boots,  for  you 
promised  me  a  pair;"  the  nine-year-old  girl  said,  "A 
laro^e  china  doll,"  but  when  the  guessing  came  to  the 
smallest  one,  a  little  girl  between  the  age  of  three  and 
four  years,  to  my  surprise  she  said,  "A  nigger." 
"Correct,"  said  my  master,  ''the  nigger's  yours; 
come  in  here.  Bill  "  I  went  in  and  the  formal  in- 
troduction was  made.  He  said,  beginning  with  the 
boy,  "This  is  your  master  Charles,  this  is  your  Miss 
Mary,"  but  when  it  came  to  the  youngest  girl,  he 
said,  this  is  your  Miss  Alice  and  you  belong  to  her. 
Now,  if  you  are  a  good  and  obedient  nigger,  when  she 
is  grown  and  at  her  death  she  will  set  you  free. "  If  I 
had  believed  this  story  I  would  have  prayed  to  God  to 
kill  her  then,  wicked  as  it  was.  Then  he  gave  me  an 
introduction  to  his  wife.  As  long  as  I  had  been  with 
him  he  had  not  introduced  himself  until  now.  He 
really  grew  enthusiastic  in  introducing  himself;  his  face 
grew  red,  and  his  voice  trembled  as  he  said:  "I  want 
you  to  understand  that  I'm  a  nigger  breaker.    I  hear 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT.  53 

yon  came  from  a  family  of  niggers  that  won't  be 
whipped,  but  I'll  break  you  or  kill  you."  I  knew  he 
could  not  afford  to  do  the  latter,  for  I  had  overheard 
Kobert  E.  Lee,  from  w^hom  he  had  bought  me,  say  to 
him,  understand  you  have  abused  the  girl  you 
bought  from  me,  shamefully.  If  you  abuse  this  boy  it 
will  cost  you  all  you  are  Avorth." 

lie  then  called  the  girl,  who  was  once  a  pretty  octo- 
roon, but  now  her  face  was  much  disfigured  where  the 
mistress  had  stuck  the  hot  tongs  to  it  because  she  was 
so  overworked  she  would  fall  asleep  while  she  would  be 
carding  wool  at  night.  You  could  hardly  see  the 
traces  of  a  once  beautiful  girl,  now  about  fourteen 
years  old. 

He  said,  '  'you  two  have  got  a  good  home  and  can 
be  happy  here  together."  Jokingly,  he  said,  ''I'll 
have  the  preacher  come  over  and  marry  you. "  He 
thouo^ht  throuo^h  this  union— he  had  formed  in  his 
mind — that  he  would  raise  his  own  slaves. 

After  supper  the  mistress  ordered  her  to  bring  in 
her  tin  pan  and  quart  cup,  at  the  same  time  wondering 
what  dishes  to  give  me  to  use.  My  master  said,  '  '•Oh 
yes,  I  forgot  to  tell  you  I  bought  Bill  a  new  pan  and 
cup."  The  children  scampered  away  for  the  old  sad- 
dle bags.  They  brought  my  cup  and  pan,  and  after 
using  the  latter  for  a  looking  glass  for  a  time,  handed 
it  to  me.  In  the  tin  pans  she  put  a  little  gravy  and  a 
corn  dodger  on  each,  and  tilled  the  cups  with  skimmed 
milk — the  milk  had  been  skimmed  and  skimmed  until 
there  was  not  an  eye  of  cream  to  be  seen  on  it.  We 
called  it  blue  John.    Fannie  and  I  went  into  the  kitch- 


54 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


en.  She  said  to  me,  * 'don't  eat  yet,  we'll  milk  first." 
I  was  very  hungry,  but  did  as  she  asked  me.  We  took 
our  milk  buckets  and  went  to  the  cow  pen;  there  were 
two  cows,  8o  we  got  them  close  together.  Fannie 
milked  both,  for  I  had  never  before  tried  to  milk.  We 
poured  our  cup  of  blue  John  into  the  milk  pail.  She 
milked  both  our  cups  full,  and  with  our  hoe  cakes  of 
com  bread,  we  ate  our  supper,  drinking  the  warm, 
unstrained  milk.  The  mistress  often  complained,  and 
spoke  of  selling  the  cows  because  tbey  gave  such  poor 
milk.  We  would  then  milk  the  cows  into  the  pail 
where  we  had  poured  our  skimmed  milk  and  return 
it  to  our  mistress.  We  continued  this  as  long  as  1  was 
there,  which  was  three  or  four  months. 

My  master  was  overseer  for  a  man  on  an  adjoining 
farm,  named  Howard,  for  which  he  was  paid  thirty 
dollars  per  month.  He  would  leave  home  at  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  giving  the  girl  and  me  our  task 
the  night  before.  He  would  eat  his  dinner  each  day 
in  the  field  with  the  slaves,  and  return  home  at  about 
nine  or  ten  o'clock  at  night.  He  hired  the  slaves  at 
night,  and  sometimes  in  the  day  he  would  slip  them 
over  to  work  in  his  crop.  I  have  known  the  slaves 
many  limes  to  work  in  his  field  from  ten  o'clock  at 
night  until  near  day-break  the  next  morning;  yet  he 
never  allowed  the  girl  or  me  to  visit  the  slaves  on  any 
other  farm,  or  them  to  visit  us.  He  was  the  meanest 
overseer  in  that  section  of  the  country,  for  he  would 
have  a  whipping  bee  every  Monday  morning. 

He  had  whipping  posts  on  the  farm  and  the  slaves 
were  tied  to  this  and  whipped;  you  could  hear  the  cries 


FROM  LOG   CABIX  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


55 


of  slaves  all  around  from  that  place.  I  have  heard 
him  laugh  many  times  and  tell  how  the  slaves  would 
squirm  under  the  lash. 

The  farm  on  the  other  side  of  as  belonged  to  a  man 
named  Wiikerson;  he  had  seventy  five  or  a  hundred 
slaves,  and  he,  also,  was  a  cruel  man.  Every  day.  in 
going  for  the  cows  I  would  have  to  pass  his  farm.  I 
heard  him  say  to  one  of  the  rail  splitters,  ''if  you 
don't  have  your  task  of  rails  split  tomorrow  I  will  hit 
you  one  hundred  lashes.**  The  man  told  him  he  was 
doing  all  he  could  do  and  would  die  before  he  would 
take  a  single  lick.  I  made  it  my  business  the  next  day 
to  go  after  the  cows  about  the  time  for  him  to  go  out; 
I  saw  him  and  four  or  five  other  mem  he  asked  the 
rail  splitter  if  he  had  his  task  completed.  The  man 
answered  in  the  negative;  he  then  ordered  him  to  pull 
off  his  shirt,  which  the  man  did,  then  tied  his  pants 
around  his  waist  with  his  suspenders.  The  reason  the 
slaves  would  so  readily  pull  off  their  shirts  was  so' 
they  conld  not  have  anything  to  hold  them  by,  their 
flesh  being  moist  they  could  not  easily  hold  them. 
When  his  master  told  him  to  cross  his  hands  he  began 
to  fight,  knocking  white  men  down  as  fast  as  they 
could  come  to  him.  Finally  they  made  five  or  six 
other  rail  splitters,  working  near  by,  help  take  him. 
There  were  saw  logs  from  five  to  six  feet  through,  all 
round;  some  of  the  colored  men  caught  him  by  the 
head  and  hands,  while  others  had  held  of  his  feet,  and 
they  bent  him  back  over  one  of  the  saw-logs  while  he 
was  fighting  and  cursing.  His  master  seized  the  maul, 
which  the  man  had  been  using  to  split  rails  with,  and 


56 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


struck  him  across  the  abdomen;  bent  over  in  the  posi- 
tion he  was  the  lick  sounded  like  a  pop-gun,  and 
the  man's  intestines  ran  out,  and  he  died  across  the  log; 
murdered  because  he  could  not  perform  the  task  im- 
posed upon  him.  These  are  some  of  the  horrible 
deeds  which  have  stained  the  pages  of  American  his- 
tory, and  which  it  will  take  centuries  to  mitigate. 

It  was  a  common  thing  to  hear  the  cries  of  the  slaves 
all  around  on  Monday  morning.  Some  being  whipped 
for  one  thing,  some  for  another.  Some  were  whipped 
for  attending  religious  services  on  Sunday;  some  for 
going  to  frolics;  sometimes  a  man's  wife  was  owned  by 
other  masters,  five  or  six  miles  away;  they  would  slip- 
off  after  their  work  was  done  at  night  to  see  them; 
sometimes  they  would  be  late  returning,  so  they  would 
be  whipped  for  that.  There  would  be  a  perfect  pan- 
demonium around  that  community  all  the  time. 


58 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO   THE  PULPIT, 


CHAPTER  X. 

I  would  of  tea  talk  to  Fannie  about  running  away; 
she  would  plead  with  me  and  beg  me  not  to,  because 
it  would  be  so  lonesome  for  her,  but  there  was  a  con- 
stant yearning  in  my  soul  for  that  freedom  which  God 
intended  for  all  human  beings.  Ultimately,  after  a 
careful  planning  of  the  route  to  be  taken  and  a  survey 
of  the  country,  as  far  as  I  had  been  over,  I  made  up 
my  mind  to  leave.  One  morning  my  master  sent  me 
to  the  field  to  gather  corn.  T  carried  a  basket  and  two 
sacks,  and  at  noon  I  was  to  fill  them  and  hitch  up  the 
mule  cart  and  bring  them  home.  I  got  the  corn  ready 
and  sat  down  in  the  corn  row.  I  realized  then  for  the 
first  time  that  there  must  be  some  efficacy  in  prayer. 
My  mother  had  taught  me  to  get  on  my  knees  and  say 
my  prayers,  as  far  back  as  I  could  remember,  yet  I 
never  knew  the  power  there  was  in  prayer,  until  on  this 
memorable  morning,  I  knelt  down  in  a  corn  row  and 
prayed  with  that  fervent,  childlike  simplicity  for  God 
in  some  way  to  get  me  back  to  my  mother  or  into 
Canada,  or  else  let  me  die  and  go  to  heaven.  The 
Queen  of  England  had  said  that  if  the  slaves  could 
reach  the  shores  of  Canada  she  would  protect  them,  if 
it  took  the  whole  navy  of  England  to  do  so.  While  I 
was  thus  in  prayer  it  seemed  that  all  nature  was  in 
sympathy  with  me,  for  not  even  the  rustling  of  the 
leaves  could  be  heard.    The  only  thing  to  break  the 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


59 


moDotony  was  the  wooing  of  a  turtle  dove  that  sat  in 
the  branches  of  a  distant  tree,  and  seemed  to  be  saying 
*to  me,  ''I  am  in  deep  sympathy  with  you."  Reason- 
ing came  to  me  as  audibly  as  though  some  one  was 
speaking  to  me,  saying,  ''you  shall  see  your  mother 
again." 

I  became  so  much  elated  over  this  message,  though 
received  from  an  unseen  power,  that  1  jumped  up  and 
at  once  fully  decided  what  course  to  take.  Immedi- 
ately I  proceeded  to  put  my  decision  into  action,  so  I 
emptied  the  corn  out  of  the  two  sacks  and  the  basket; 
put  the  sacks  in  the  basket  on  my  arm  and  left  that 
corn  field  with  the  full  intention  of  going  back  to  Rich- 
mond, Virginia. 

It  may  seem  strange  to  the  reader  that  I  would  go 
back  to  this  place  of  human  misery;  but  I  had  learned 
from  older  men  and  women  who  had  been  sold  to  soma 
poor  man,  that  if  they  wouhl  run  away  and  go  back  to 
their  former  master,  and  tell  him  "that  your  master 
was  so  mean  that  you  could  not  live  with  him,  and  for 
this  reason  you  had  run  away  and  come  back  to  him, " 
nine  times  out  of  ten  he  would  accept  this  piece  of  de- 
ception practiced  by  the  slave,  and  compel  the  poor 
man  to  take  his  money  back,  believing  that  the  negro 
thought  more  of  him  than  of  the  man  he  had  sold  him 
to,  and  for  this  reason  I  was  going  back  to  Richmond, 
Virginia. 

I  went  about  seven  or  eight  miles  that  day  through 
the  woods,  and  about  dusk  I  came  in  sight  of  a  cabin 
in  the  distance.  I  was  satisfied  this  was  the  home  of 
some  old  mother  or  father  who  had  outlived  the  days  of 


60 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PI]LPIT. 


their  usefulness,  and  was  given  a  peck  of  meal  each 
week  and  cast  off  to  fish  or  hunt  for  the  rest  of  their 
living.  I  was  not  disappointed,  for  I  found  an  old 
woman  eighty  years  old;  it  was  hard  to  discover  until 
she  spoke  whether  she  was  white  or  slave.  The  first 
words  the  old  lady  said  were,  *'Son,  you  is  a  runaway, 
aint  you?  I  told  her  that  1  was,  and  she  told  me  "the 
overseer  haven't  been  around  yet  cause  dey  aint  done 
milking  yit,  but  you  take  this  path  (as  she  pointed  to  a 
path)  and  follow  it  till  you  come  to  a  log  across  de 
creek,  with  a  fish  box  upon  it;  you  sit  there  until  you 
hear  me  singing  this  song,  'God  has  delivered  Daniel, 
and  why  not  deliver  me?"  She  went  into  the  house, 
while  I  went  to  the  log  mentioned.  I  sat  there  for 
three-quarters  of  an  hour.  I  heard  the  milk  maids 
while  milking  singing  different  melodies,  then  I  heard 
the  command  of  the  overseer  for  them  to  take  the 
cows  to  pasture,  and  in  a  short  while  I  heard  the  feeble 
voice  of  the  old  mother  as  it  rang  out  on  the  still, 
balmy  air,  singing: 

He  delivered  Daniel  from  the  lion's  den, 
Jonah  from  the  body  of  the  whale, 
The  Hebrew  children  from  the  fiery  furnace, 
And  why  not  deliver  poor  me? 

Hold  up  your  head  with  courage  bold, 
And  do  not  be  afraid 
For  my  God  delivered  Daniel, 
And  He  will  deliver  poor  you. 

I  started  for  the  house  and  met  her  coming.  We 
went  into  the  cabin  where  she  had  prepared  supper, 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  TULPIT. 


61 


and  I  assure  you  I  enjoyed  it.  The  supper  consisted 
of  boiled  fresh  fish  and  "ash  cake."  As  I  ate  she  sat 
with  her  hands  on  my  head,  telling  me  how  to  get 
along  in  the  world,  and  pointing  me  to  that  friend  that 
sticketh  closer  than  a  brother.  She  repeatedly  said, 
''if  Grod  be  for  you  it  is  more  than  all  the  world 
against  you."  She  made  me  a  pallet  upon  the  floor, 
and  I  slept  there  until  about  three-thirty  o'clock  the 
next  morning,  when  she  awoke  me  and  gave  me  break- 
fast of  the  same  diet  I  had  had  the  night  previous 
for  supper.  She  also  gave  me  four  or  five  onions,  and 
told  me  upon  the  peril  of  my  life,  not  to  eat  a  single 
one  of  these  onions,  because  they  would  make  me 
sleepy  and  I  w^ould  be  liable  to  be  caught.  But  she 
said  negro  hunters  came  along  there  every  two  or  three 
hours  in  the  day;  and  I  learned  for  the  first  time  how 
to  decoy  the  blood  hounds,  for  she  told  me  whenever 
I  heard  the  baying  of  hounds  on  my  trail,  to  rub  the 
onions  on  the  bottoms  of  my  feet  and  run,  and  after 
running  a  certain  distance  to  stop  and  apply  the  onions 
again,  then  when  I  came  to  a  large  bushy  tree,  to  rub 
the  trunk  as  high  up  as  I  could  reach,  then  climb  the 
tree. 


62 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

About  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  at  the  old  wom- 
an's command,  I  knelt  by  her  side,  she  placed  her 
hand  upon  my  head  and  prayed  fervently  for  my  safe 
return  to  Richmond,  and  that  God  would  touch  Massa 
Lee's  heart,  that  he  might  buy  me  back  from  my 
present  owner.  When  she  quit  praying  she  told  me 
that  I  would  reach  Richmond  safely.  She  kissed  me 
good  bye,  with  tender,  parting  words,  as  a  mother 
w^ould  her  own  son,  and  I  left,  with  directions  from  her 
how  to  reach  my  intended  destination .  I  had  not  gone 
far  when  an  opportunity  presented  itself  to  test  the 
efficacy  of  the  onions,  for  about  nine  o'clock  that  day 
I  heard  the  baying  of  the  blood  hounds  in  the  distance 
behind  me.  I  rubbed  the  onions  on  my  feet  as  direct- 
ed, and  ran  as  fast  as  I  could  the  distance  of  half  a 
mile,  when  I  repeated  the  application.  I  continued 
this  process  for  about  one  mile  and  a  half,  going 
across  the  fields  and  through  the  woods,  dodging  the 
roads  and  farms  where  people  were  at  work.  1  came 
to  a  thickly  branched  out  tree  in  the  woods.  1  rubbed 
onions  on  the  trunk  and  climbed  the  tree.  I  could  tell 
when  the  hounds  came  to  the  place  where  I  first  put 
the  onions  on  my  feet,  because  they  would  retrace 
their  steps,  until  finally  their  voices  died  away, 
and  I  heard  them  no  more  that  day.  I  traveled  all  of 
that  day,  and  that  night  I  slept  in  a  low,  swampy  place 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


63 


between  two  huge  logs,  on  some  brush,  with  the  two 
sacks  over  me  which  I  took  when  I  left  the  corn  field. 
By  daylight  the  next  morning  I  started  on  my  journe}', 
but  had  not  gone  many  miles  when  I  came  in  sight  of 
a  riyer.  I  saw  that  I  was  not  far  from  a  house,  and 
went  close  enough  to  see  that  a  ford  was  near  the 
house  where  they  crossed  the  river.  The  white  man 
who  had  charge  of  the  ford  lived  in  the  house.  So  I 
knew  I  couldn't  set  across  the  river  without  taking"  a 
boat,  and  that  he  wouldo  t  hire  me  one  without  word 
from- my  master,  therefore  that  necessitated  my  wait- 
ing until  night,  so  I  went  back  in  the  woods  to  wait. 

I  saw  some  colored  men  coming  across  the  field  and 
went  to  meet  them,  and  learned  through  them  their 
master's  name  and  three  or  four  slayes  that  he  owned, 
and  name  of  a  farmer  on  the  other  side  of  the  river. 
They  told  me  to  go  to  the  ferryman  and  tell  him  that 
Mr.  Howard,  my  master,  had  sent  me  to  take-  the 
basket  and  two  sacks  to  Mr.  Owens,  who  lived  on  the 
other  side  of  the  river.  They  told  me  that  the  ferry- 
man would  question  me  very  minutely,  but  if  he  asked 
how  long  Mr.  Howard  had  owned  me  to  tell  him  he 
bought  me  from  negro  traders  two  weeks  before — for 
traders  had  crossed  there  just  two  weeks  ago  with  three 
or  four  hundred  slaves.  They  then  left  me  and  told 
me  to  wait  until  they  returned.  1  did  so,  but  under 
great  suspense,  because  one  of  the  men  belonged  to  a 
tribe  of  negroes  known  as  the  Guineas,  who  would 
divulge  any  secret  for  a  little  whiskey  or  wheat  bread; 
therefore  I  was  afraid  I  would  be  betrayed.  But  in  a 
short  time  the}"  returned,   relieving  me  of  the  great 


64 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


suspense,  and  bringing  me  something  to  eat.  They 
told  me  1  was  in  an  easy  day's  walk  of  Richmond  after 
I  crossed  the  river;  told  me  what  to  say  to  Massa  Lee 
when  T  got  back,  but  not  to  go  into  Kichmond  until 
after  dark.  They  prayed  an  ardent  prayer  for  God's 
protection  and  guiding  hand  to  go  with  me,  and  bade 
me  good  bye  and  God  speed.  I  went  to  the  ford, 
called  out  hello;  the  harsh  \^oice  of  the  ferryman  cried 
out,  "whose  thar. "  At  the  same  time  he  was  coming 
towards  the  river,  I  was  fast  rehearsing  in  my 
mind  the  story  I  was  to  tell  him.  When  he  got  near 
me  his  first  words  were,  "where  in  hell  are  you  going 
this  time  of  night?"  I  started  to  tell  him  that  Mr. 
Howard  had  sent  me  to  Mr.  Owen's  to  take  the  basket 
and  sacks,  but  before  I  could  finish  telling  him,  he 
ordered  me  to  pull  off  my  hat:  that  he  would  teach  me 
some  manners  if  I  came  there  talking  to  him  with  my 
hat  on .  He  then  asked  how  long  Mr.  Howard  had 
owned  me,  at  the  same  time  flashing  his  lantern  in  my 
face.  But  when  I  told  him  he  said,  ^/yes,  J  remember 
seeing  you  in  that  gang;  untie  the  boat."  He  sat 
down  and  lit  his  pipe  while  1  pulled  the  boat  over. 
When  we  reached  the  other  side  he  said  "tie  her  up 
thar."  He  looked  at  his  watch  and  said  "its  a  quarter 
up  thar  and  a  quarter  back."  I'll  give  you  fifteen 
minutes  each  way,  if  you  aint  back  in  that  time  I'll 
skin  you  alive."  If  he's  waiting  he  is  having  a  good 
long  wait.  I  went  on  my  way  rejoicing  and  saying, 
as  the  little  colored  boy  said  who  had  been  accustomed 
to  climbing  the  ladder  and  sleeping  in  one  of  his  mis- 
tress's bed  rooms  when  his  master  was  not  at  home. 


FKOM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


65 


But  one  memorable  night  when  he  got  to  the  bed  he 
found  old  master  was  there,  so  he  said.  '  'may  I,  old 
master,  may  I?"  Master  said,  "may  you  what,  you 
black  rascal,  you."  Sambo  as  quick  as  lightning,  said, 
"may  I  feed  the  little  pigs  with  the  big  ones?"  With 
an  oath  his  master  told  him  yes;  for  him  to  get  out  of 
there.  Sambo  was  so  much  elated  over  his  success 
that  he  said,  as  he  started  down  the  ladder,  "wasn't 
dat  well  turned?"  The  master  hearing  him,  inquired 
"what's  that  well  turned?" 

Sambo  was  ready  again  with  an  answer.  He  said, 
"my  foot  slipped  and  1  fell  twice  around  de  ladder  and 
cotched  myself  and  didn't  fall  yit." 

After  crossing  the  river  that  night  1  went  but  a 
short  distance,  when  I  made  me  a  bed  in  a  shock  of 
fodder.  The  next  morning  before  daylight  as  I  came 
out  of  the  shock  two  more  runaways  came  out  of  the 
shock  ahead  of  me.  When  they  saw  me  they  ran  as 
fast  as  they  could  go  and  I  after  them.  They  did  not 
wait  to  see  whether  J  was  white  or  black.  They  ran 
across  a  large  field,  and  came  to  a  fence.  One,  a  very 
tail  man,  put  his  hand  on  the  top  and  vaulted  over. 
The  other  one  attempted  to  follow  but  fell  back.  By 
that  time  I  had  caught  up  with  him.  He  asked  me 
why  I  did  not  tell  him  I  was  colored.  I  replied,  "I 
couldn't  cotch  you." 

They  were  men  who  had  been  sold  from  Richmond 
and  were  now  running  away  from  their  masters  as  I 
was,  and  trying  to  get  back  to  Lee.  They  had  with 
them  plenty  to  eat,  so  we  had  about  as  good  a  time 
that  day  as  runaways  could  have  in  the  woods.  Long 


66 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


before  dusk  we  could  see  the  statue  of  George  Wash- 
ington, which  stood  at  Richmond,  Virginia,  with  a 
negro  boy  chained  at  its  base,  and  Washington  pointing 
with  his  right  hand,  saying,  ^'take  the  negro  south." 
This  very  great  man,  who,  with  Hancock,  in  1776, 
signed  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  said  the 
colonies  were,  and  ought  to  be  free,  loosed  them  from 
the  iron  hand  of  Great  Britain;  and  yet  that  was  the 
inscription  w^ritten  on  his  statue,  which  adorned  the 
public  square  of  the  once  Capitol  of  the  Southern 
Confederacy. 

We  hid  around  until  dnsk,  when  we  went  down  to  a 
spring  and  ate  our  lunch,  slaking  our  thirst  from  the 
clear,  cool  water  as  it -bubbled  out  from  the  spring,  by 
lying  flat  down  and  lapping  the  water.  I  happened  to 
be  the  first  of  the  three  to  get  up,  and  to 
my  surprise  there  stood  five  negro  hunters  with  their 
gans  and  revolvers  pointing  toward  us.  1  said  to  my 
companions  ^'here  is  some  white  men."  They  said 
'^whar.''  Their  eyes  looked  like  great  balls  of  cotton. 
The  men  commanded  us  to  come  to  them.  I  can  best 
illustrate  how  we  appeared  when  we  found  out  that  we 
had  been  captured,  by  a  cartoon  which  I  once  saw. 
The  cartoon  represented  an  old  colored  man  who  saw 
an  opossum  in  a  tree  close  to  his  house;  he  was  so 
elated  over  the  idea  of  possum  and  sweet  potatoes  that 
he  climbed  the  tree.  The  possum  jumped  upon  the 
limb  the  man  was  on,  but  it  got  between  him  and  the 
trunk  of  the  tree;  the  old  man  had  his  saw  and  besfan 
in  earnest  to  saw  the  limb  off,  thinkino:  of  nothins:  but 
the  possum;  he  said  to  his  boy  and  dog  below,  'dook 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


67 


out  dowD  dar,  cause  sumphin  gwine  to  drap,"  And 
''something  did  drap,''  but  it  was  the  old  man  himself. 
Likewise,  when  we  three  looked  up  into  the  muzzles  of 
the  guns  and  revolvers  we  thought  something  was  going 
to  drop,  and  sure  enough  something  did,  for  we  drop- 
ped, each  one  of  us  in  handcuffs,  and  we  were  marched 
into  Richmond. 


S.  J.  Richardson, 
Editor  Bedford,  Ind.,  Enterprise,  who  has  given  val- 
uable assistance  and  friendship  to  the  author. 


68 


FRO.AI  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  neo^ro  trader's  pen,  Mr  Lee 
happened  to  be  there.  He  wanted  to  know  of  the 
negro  hunters  where  they  found  us;  they  told  him. 
Then  he  beo^an  to  interrogate  each  of  us;  I  told  him 
that  "Massa  Scott  was  so  mean  to  me  that  I  could  not 
live  with  him,  so  I  I'an  off  and  came  back  to  you." 
The  other  tw^o  men  told  the  same  kind  of  story;  so  Mr. 
Lee  ordered  the  negro  hunters  to  take  the  handcuffs 
off",  and  if  they  wanted  to  make  money  to  go  and  find 
negroes  that  were  not  coming  back  to  him.  They, ,  with 
their  hats  in  their  hands,  the  same  as  the  slaves,  began 
to  form  excuses,  when  Lee  ordered  them  off  the  prem- 
ises without  any  reward.  Had  we  not  been  remrning 
to  Mr.  Lee  they  would  have  been  entitled  to  three  dol- 
lars per  head.  According  to  the  law  they  were  entitled 
to  it  at  any  rate,  for  we  were  runaways,  but  they 
were  poor  men  with  low  occupations  and  their  word 
didn't  go  as  far  as  that  of  the  slaves  they  were  driving. 
One  of  the  men  he  ordered  locked  up  stairs,  telling 
him  that  he  had  a  good  master,  and  if  he  behaved 
himself  he  would  be  treated  all  right.  The  man  begged 
very  hard  not  to  be  sent  back,  but  his  begging  was  all 
in  vain.  This  man's  master  was  wealthy,  while  mine 
and  the  other  man's  master  were  poor  men,  so  he 
kept  us  and  sent  the  other  man  back. 

JMr.  Lee  told  me  that  the  man  who  had  my  mother 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


69 


had  been  there  twice  and  wanted  to  buy  me,  and  Scott, 
he  said  ''was  behind  anyhow."  I  think  he  meant  that 
his  second  payment  was  overdue-— and  he  assured  me 
that  he  shouldn't  have  me  back.  Mr,  Lee  wrote  a 
note  and  sent  me  to  his  own  house.  I  met  an  old 
colored  mammy  at  the  gate.  She  asked  me,  "where  is 
you  gwine?"  I  said,  <'to  see  Miss  Lee."  She  said, 
''You  look  like  gwine  to  see  Miss  Lee.  Wha  dat 
you  got  in  your  han'^'  I  said,  '-a  letter  for  her." 
She  said,  "gin  it  to  me."  She  took  the  note,  telling 
me  to  wait.  Mrs.  Lee  raised  the  window  and  called 
to  me  to  come  up.  She  asked  about  my  parents,  and 
said  Mr.  Scott  should  not  take  me  back  again.  She 
told  the  colored  mammy  to  take  me  and  clean  me  up. 
When  I  got  in  the  cabin  1  discovered  it  was  w^ash  day, 
for  she  had  a  kettle  of  hot  water  on  the  fire  place. 
She  took  a  couple  of  handfuls  of  soft  soap  out  of  the 
gourd  and  stirred  it  in  the  water.  When  she  found  I 
was  not  undressing  she  looked  very  much  surprised 
and  said,  "gwine  out  of  dem  rags."  She  scrubbed 
my  back  till  my  flesh  burned.  About  the  time  she 
was  through  the  sixteen-year  old  maid  came  in  with 
clothino^  for  me.  I  tried  to  hide  behind  the  old 
mother.  The  girl  threw  the  clothes  down  and  ran  out. 
I  put  the  clothes  on  and  stayed  at  the  trader's  pen  that 
evening.  After  that  I  w^as  privileged  to  stay  at  the 
house,  or  pen,  as  I  chose.  I  thought  I  was  almost  a  free 
man,  for  I  had  on  a  pair  of  shoes,  a  nice  suit  of  clothes 
and  a  large  brass  watch  and  chain. 

Master  Lee  told  me  that  a  man  named  Jake  Hadle}^, 
who  lived  in  Greenville,  Tennessee,  had  my  mother. 


70 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


two  brothers  and  ix  sister.  He  also  said  Mr.  Hadley 
drove  a  big  black  liorse,  so  it  seems  that  1  thought 
there  was  only  one  black  horse  in  all  Virginia  and  that 
the  Jew  owned  him;  therefore  I  met  with  many  disap- 
pointments, I  waited  and  watched  for  more  than  a 
month  for  my  new  master  to  come,  during  which  time, 
I  assisted  Peter  around  the  pen.  Peter  looked  after 
the  slaves,  and  did  all  the  whipping.  I  cleaned  the 
office  and  was  errand  boy.  Most  of  my  work  was. 
about  the  office.  During  the  time  I  was  there  I  saw- 
thousands  of  slaves  bought  and  sold.  I  saw  one, 
woman  who  had  five  children;  she  and  two  children^ 
one  a  nursing  baby,  and  a  girl  about  eleven  years  old^^ 
were  sold  to  negro  traders,  while  the  husband  and  the 
other  three  children  were  bought  by  a  farmer  who. 
lived  somewhere  in  east  Virginia.  The  farmer  wsiit 
with  the  father  and  three  children  to  see  the  mother, 
and  the  other  two  children  leave  for  Mississippi.  As, 
the  boat  pulled  out  from  the  shore  and  the  husband 
and  wife  bade  each  other  good  bye,  the  woman,  with 
one  loud  scream,  made  a  sudden  leap  and  landed  in  the 
deep  water,  with  her  baby  clasped  in  her  arms  and  the 
little  girl  handcuJffed  to  her.  She  had  preferred  death 
to  life  separated  from  her  husband  and  children.  They 
were  not  picked  up  until  the  next  day. 

I  saw  another  woman  whipped  seventy-five  lashes  on, 
her  bare  back  because  she  w^ouldn't  strip  her  clothing 
any  further  down  than  her  waist,  to  be  examined. 
They  took  her  back  the  second  time,  but  she  fought 
them  until  they  were  compelled  to  leave  her  alone. 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


71 


These  last  two  incidents  remind  me  of  the  pilgrim  in 
the  following  song: 

"I  saw  a  blood  washed  traveler  in  garments  white  assnow, 
While  traveling  up  the  highway,  where  heavenly  breezes 
blow; 

His  path  was  full  of  trials,  but  yet  his  face  was  bright. 
He  shouted  as  he  journeyed,  I'm  glad  the  burden's  Hght. 

CHORUS. 

Then  it's  palms  of  victory, 

Crowns  of  glory. 

Palms  of  victory,  you  shall  wear. 

I  saw  him  'mong  his  neighbors,  they  mocked  his  soul's  alarm; 

The  vilest  wretch  among  them  could  scoff  and  do  no  harm ; 
Forsaken  by  his  kindred  and  banished  from  their  sight. 

An  outcast,  yet  he  shouted,  I'm  glad  the  burden's  light. 

I  saw  him  in  the  conflict,  where  all  around  was  strife. 

Where  wicked  men  with  malice,  connived  to  take  his  life ; 

1  saw  him  cast  in  prison,  a  dungeon  dark  as  night. 

And  there  I  heard  him  shouting,  I'm  glad  the  burden's 
light. 

I  saw  him  led  from  prison,  and  chained  unto  the  stake, 
I  heard  him  cry  triumphant,  'tis  all  for  Jesus  sake. 

I  saw  the  fires  when  kindled,  the  faggots  burning  bright. 
He  said  the  yoke  is  easy,  the  burden  is  so  light." 


72 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

This  is  now  the  year  of  1860.  I  was  twelve  years 
of  age  and  had  been  a  runaway  twice  in  that  time.  I 
had  now  been  at  Lee's  trader's  pen  four  or  five  weeks, 
when  one  day  I  saw  a  man  coming  with  a  black  horse 
and  buggy,  something  from  within  seemed  to  w^hisper 
to  me,  "this  is  the  man  who.  owns  your  mother."  My 
aspirations  ran  so  high  that  I  went  out  the  back  way 
and  prayed  that  this  might  be  he.  He  came  into  the 
office  of  the  pen,  and  after  a  general  conversation  with 
Mr.  Lee,  he  asked  "if  he  had  heard  anything  of  that 
boy  yet."  I  was  watching  every  move  and  listening 
to  every  word  passed.  With  a  wink  of  the  eye,  Mr^ 
Lee  said,  "no."  Then  he  sent  me  to  do  something  in 
the  rear  end  of  the  building.  I  did  it  very  quickly 
and  returned  to  the  office  again;  was  very  busily  en- 
gaged with  my  dust  brush.  Never  since  I  had  been 
there  had  I  found  so  much  to  be  done  in  the  office, 
and  whenever  I  was  sent  away  I  would  do  my  errand 
as  quickly  as  possible  a^d  return  to  the  office  again. 

Finally  Mr.  Hadley,  for  it  was  he,  said:  ''boy, 
how  would  you  like  to  belong  to  me  and  go 
down  to  Tennessee  to  live?  While  I  was  satisfied  that 
he  was  the  man  who  owned  my  mother,  I  said,  "I 
wouldn't  like  to  go  with  you  at  all,'  cause  Massa  Lee 
said  the  man  that  had  my  mother  was  coming  after 
me."    As  I  spoke  I  couldn't  keep  from  crying,  and  Mr. 


PROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


73 


Jjee  could  refrain  no  longer,  so  he  said*.  ^'William, 
this  is  Mr:  Hadley,  the  man  who  has  your  mother,  and 
brothers  and  sisters .  "  And  for  once  I  saw  that  seem- 
ingly heartless  man,  who  separated  thousands  of  hus- 
bands and  wives,  mothers  and  children,  sisters  and 
brothers,  touched  to  the  very  core,  for  he  drew  his 
handkerchief  and  wiped  his  eyes,  instead  of  his  nose, 
as  he  pretended  to  be  doing. 

Mr.  Hadley  was  a  very  kind,  fatherly  acting  man. 
He  bought  me  a  nice  suit  of  clothes,  and  gave  me 
money,  telling  me  to  buy  my  mother,  brothers  and  sis- 
ters some  presents.  As  a  general  thing  all  Jew  slave 
owners  were  more  lenient  to  their  slaves  than  any  other 
nationality,  perhaps  because  they  had  been  in  bondage 
themselves.  In  a  few  days  we  started  for  home;  w^e 
had  to  stop  along  the  way  in  many  little  towns  to  at- 
tend to  business,  so  that  we  were  nearly  four  days  in 
making  the  trip.  These  were  four  of  the  longest  days 
I  had  ever  experienced  in  my  life,  for  I  was  anxious 
to  meet  my  mother  again.  I  was  constantly  inquiring 
"how^  much  farther  is  it. "  On  the  fourth  day  in  the 
afternoon  I  asked,  "how  long  yet  before  we  will 
reach  home?''  He  said,  '4n  a  few  days  now."  The 
words  had  scarcely  left  his  lips,  when  I  saw  coming 
down  the  road  my  mother  and  new  mistress.  Mother 
came  upon  the  side  of  the  buggy  my  master  was  on, 
and  almost  dragged  me  out  of  the  buggy  across  my 
master.  She  was  rejoicing  and  blessing  master  for  his 
deeds  of  kindness.  In  a  few  minutes  my  new  mistress 
came  up  on  the  other  side  of  the  buggy;  she  pulled  me 
over,  and  to  my  surprise,  and  for  the  first  time  in  my 


74 


FROM  LOG  CA'BIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


life,  a  white  woman  kissed  me.  This  was  a  veiy  new 
feature  to  me,  and  naturally  embarrasedme  very  much, 
so  much  so  that  I  mentioned  it  many  times  afterwards. 
1  couldn't  understand  how  it  was,  I,  a  slave,  and  she 
my  mistress,  as  others  had  been,  and  they  were  so 
heartless  and  cruel,  and  she  so  kind.  But  I  afterwards 
learned  that  all  the  white  people  were  not  mean  and 
cruel,  for  Avhen  I  arrived  home  I  found  my  mistress 
had  prepared  a  grand  dinner  for  us  and  invited  in  all 
the  slaves.  My  mistress  had  two  children,  Samuel  and 
Laura.  I  didn't  call  them  master  and  mistress  as  I 
had  heretofore  called  the  white  children,  but  called 
them  each  by  their  given  name.  I  had  a  glorious  time 
in  that  home  and  felt  almost  as  if  1  were  free.  My 
master  owned  a  large  farm  three  miles  from  Green- 
ville, where  we  lived.  But  during  the  month  of  Feb- 
ruary he  concluded  to  go  to  the  old  country — I  think 
it  WHS  on  account  of  the  agitation  of  the  slave  question 
— he  saw  the  war  was  coming  on,  so  he  decided  to 
take  us  back  to  Wilmington  and  leave  us  there,  with 
his  wife  and  children,  on  his  brother's  farm,  until  he 
returned.  Accordingly  we  all  packed  up  and  went 
back  to  Wilmington,  N.  C,  my  old  birthplace.  On 
arriving  there  we  found  another  brother  and  sister, 
making  mother  and  six  children  together  again;  father 
and  the  other  six  children  we  knew  nothing  of.  Mr. 
Hadley  went  away  but  was  gone  only  three  weeks, 
when  he  returned,  saying  he  had  not  gone  any  farther 
than  Richmond,  Virginia. 

He  stayed  in  Wilmington  a  month,  and  when  he 
was  ready  to  go  back  home  he  asked  me  and  my  sister 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


75 


^'if  we  didn't  want  to  stay  with  his  brother  awhile 
longer  and  come  home  hiter  on."  We,  not  having 
the  least  suspicion  that  he  had  sold  us,  told  him  that 
we  would.  So  they  went  home,  leaving  us.  After  a 
couple  of  weeks,  Mr.  Dave  Hadley — that  was  his 
brother's  name---told  us  that  he  had  bought  us,  but 
we  could  go  every  two  or  three  months  to  Greenville 
to  see  mother. 

It  was  not  more  than  two  weeks  from  the  time  I 
found  that  Massa  Dave  Hadley  had  bought  me,  when 
Joseph  Covvens,  the  son  of  my  original  old  master, 
€ame  to  Mr.  Hadley's;  he  met  me  out  in  the  yard  and 
stopped  me  for  a  talk.  He  said,  "it  was  a  shame  that 
his  father  had  allowed  my  father  to  be  sold  away,  that 
he  was  going  to  buy  us  all  back  and  get  us  together 
again." 

With  this  conversation  he  naturally  won  me,  so 
when  he  asked  me  if  1  wouldn't  like  to  belong  to  him, 
of  course  1  said  "yes."  He  went  into  the  house  and 
in  a  short  time  he  and  Massa  Dave  came  out  together, 
and  Massa  Dave  told  me  that  I  now  belonged  to 
Joseph  Co  wens,  and  that  he  had  bought  my  two  broth- 
-ers  also,  and  in  the  next  two  months  he  was  going  to 
buy  mother  and  the  other  two  children.  But  when  I 
got  to  his  house  and  asked  for  my  brothers,  he  said 
that  he  had  hired  them  out  for  a  year.  1  soon 
found  out  different;  he  had  never  bought  my  broth- 
ers, nor  had  any  intention  of  buying  them;  or  my 
mother,  either. 


76 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


CHAPTER  Xiy. 

I  am  now  back  in  the  Cowens  family,  my  original 
master's  son,  and  brother  to  Scott  Cowens — the  man  I 
knocked  off  the  porch  for  hitting  m^  mother,  and  who 
was  afterwards  drowned.  1  went  to  Joseph  Cowen's 
as  general  servant  boy  in  the  house,  and  was  treated  as 
well  as  could  be  expected  from  a  Cowen.  I  stayed 
there  quite  satisfied,  thinking  that  mother  and  the 
other  children  would  come  in  a  few  months,  as  he  had 
promised  they  would.  The  last  of  March  we  moved 
out  i)n  the  Summer  farm,  three  miles  from  town,  and 
1  had  to  drive  him  to  town  every  morning  and  go  for 
him  every  evening.  He  was  a  merchant  and  owned 
several  ships.  Now  1  had  a  great  deal  of  freedom  out 
on  the  farm,  for  1  did  nothing  but  drive  Massa  eJoseph 
back  and  forth,  to  and  from  town,  and  wait  table.  I 
was  in  the  cabins  and  among  the  slaves  the  most  of  my 
time  in  the  day,  but  I  slept  at  the  * 'great  house"  in 
Massa  Joseph's  room.  I  had  become  almost  a  prophet 
among  my  people,  because  I  would  get  the  news  from 
the  white  people,  and  in  the  day  would  tell  it  to  the 
slaves  in  the  fields  and  cabins. 

He  owned  another  farm  five  miles  from  town,  and 
had  a  colored  overseer  on  this  farm.  Uncle  Tom 
was  the  meanest  man  you  ever  saw,  in  the  presence  of 
the  white  folks.  He  would  draw  back  his  whip  as 
though  he  was  going  to  knock  down  all  around  him. 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PIfLPIT. 


but  I  never  knew  him  to  strike  an  old  person  in  my 
life. 

The  leading  white  men  from  town  would  come  out 
two  or  three  nights  in  a  week  and  stay  half  of  the  night 
and  gamble.  I  would  take  the  whiskey,  glasses  and 
water  in  to  them,  then  Massa  Joe  would  send  me  off 
to  bed,  but  I  stood  many  an  hour  listening  to  them 
talk  and  discuss  the  question  of  the  war,  and  whether 
it  would  be  advisable  to  arm  the  negroes.  They 
finally  decided,  as  did  the  Egyptians,  that  if  they  did 
arm  the  negroes  when  the  eaemy  came  the  slaves 
would  join  with  the  enemy  and  fight  against  them,, 
so  they  thought  it  would  not  be  expedient  to  do  so. 
About  this  time,  or  in  February,  1861,  delegates  from 
South  Carolina,  Alabama,  Georgia,  Louisana  and 
Texas,  met  at  Montgomery,  Alabama,  and  formed  a 
government  called  the  Confederate  States  of  America. 
Jefferson  Davis,  of  Mississippi,  was  chosen  president. 
Davis  came  to  Wilmington  and  was  given  a  great  ova- 
tion, and  in  his  speech  he  appealed  very  strongly  to 
the  ladies;  he  asked,  "which  lady  there  was  not  willing 
to  give  her  husband,  son,  brother  or  sweetheart,  to  go 
upon  the  battle  field  and  fight  for  their  rights."  The 
women  became  frantic  with  their  cries,  "I  will  give 
mine,"  "I  wouldn't  marry  a  man  who  wouldn't  go," 
etc.  Then  he  made  another  appeal  to  the  ladies,  ask- 
ing: ''which  one  of  them  would  like  to  live  to  see  the 
day  when  a  nigger  wench  would  be  on  equality  with 
them?"  At  this  point  they  grew  raving  mad,  and 
cried,  "they  never  wanted  to  see  that  day."  Jeff  said 
he  would  wade  in  blood  to  his  saddle  skirts  rather 


T8  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO   THE  PULPIT, 

than  live  to  see  that  day,  and  yet  he  tried  to  escape  in 
his  wife's  skirts. 

About  this  time  the  laws  were  very  strict  on  the 
slaves,  and  they  were  not  allowed  a  pass  to  go  to 
a  public  gathering  of  any  kind.  Men  who  belonged 
to  one  man  and  whose  wives  were  owned  by  another,  and 
had  been  given  a  pass  every  Saturda}'  night  to  go  to 
see  them,  were  now  permitted  to  go  only  once  a  month. 
But  the  slaves  would  slip  off  to  church  and  frolics  and 
the  patroUers  were  continually  after  them,  but  the 
slaves  would  play  all  kinds  of  tricks  on  them.  I  re  - 
member one  time  while  at  a  prayer  meeting  in  an  old 
deserted  cabin  on  the  back  part  of  a  farm,  the  slaves 
were  singing  and  praying,  but  had  several  stationed  all 
around  the  house,  watching.  They  saw  the  patrollers 
coming  and  notified  those  in  the  house,  and  to  my  sur- 
prise five  or  six  men  had  shovels,  and  each  man  got  a 
shovel  full  of  hot  embers  out  of  the  fireplace  and 
stood  at  the  door  and  windows.  They  continued  to 
sing  and  pray  until  the  patrollers  got  to  the  door 
and  ordered  it  opened.  One  man  snatched  the 
door  open  while  the  others  threw  the  fire  all  over 
them;  when  the  patrollers  recovered  consciousness  the 
slaves  were  all  gone. 

At  another  time  I  went  to  a  dance  in  the  woods;  the 
music  consisted  of  tambourine,  banjo  and  bones,  but 
before  the  dance  began  they  tied  grapevines  across  the 
road,  just  high  enough  to  catch  a  man  riding  horse 
back  across  the  face  or  neck.  When  they  heard  the 
patrollers  coming  they  ran,  and  the  patrollers  right 
after  them;  many  of  them  were  crippled,  but  not  a 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT.. 


7  a 


slave  was  hurt  or  caught.  So  yon  see,  there  were 
some  negro  as  well  as  Yankee  tricks. 

The  slaves  would  have  to  devise  many  schemes  in 
order  to  serve  God.  Of  coarse  they  had  church  once 
or  twice  a  month,  but  some  white  man  would  do  the 
preaching,  and  his  t^xt  would  always  be,  ''Servants 
obey  your  masters,"  But  this  was  not  what  our 
people  wanted  to  hear,  so  they  would  congregate  after 
the  white  people  had  retired,  when  you  would  see  them 
with  their  cooking  utensils,  pots  and  kettles,  go  into  a 
swamp  and  put  the  pots  and  kettles  on  the  fence,  with 
the  mouths  turned  toward  the  worshipers.  They  would 
sing  and  pray,  the  kettles  catching  the  sound.  In  this 
way  they  were  not  detected.  I  did  not  learn  until 
just  before  the  war  why  they  carried  the  vessels  with 
them  to  worship. 

In  order  to  notify  the  slaves  on  other  farms  when 
there  was  going  to  be  a  meeting  they  would  sing  this 
song,  and  the  slaves  would  understand  what  it  meant. 
White  people  would  think  they  were  only  singing  for 
amusement: 

''Get  you  ready,  there's  a  meeting  here  tonight." 
Matt.  7:  16. 

1  Get  you  ready,  there's  a  meeting  here  tonight, 
Come  along  there's  a  meeting  here  tonight, 

I  know  you  by  your  daily  walk, 
There'sa  meeting  here  tonight. 

2  Oh,  hallelujah,  to  the  lamb, 
There's  a  meeting  here  tonight. 
For  the  Lord  is  on  the  given  hand. 
There's  a  meeting  here  tonight. 


80 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


3  If  ever  I  reach  the  mountain  top, 
I'll  praise  my  Lord  and  never  stop, 

Get  you  ready,  there's  a  meeting  here  tonight . 

4  Go  down  to  the  river  when  you're  dry 
And  there  you'll  get  your  full  supply, 
Get  ready,  there's  a  meeting  here  tonight. 

5  You  may  hinder  me  here, 
But  you  cannot  there, 
God  sits  in  heaven 

And  he  answers  prayer. 
There's  a  meeting  here  tonight. 

They  would  carry  with  them  iron  lamps,  with  a 
greasy  rag  for  a  wick,  and  they  would  attach  a  sharp 
spike  to  the  lamp  so  as  to  stick  it  in  a  tree.  In  this 
way  they  would  light  up  the  swamp,  while  they  held 
their  meeting. 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


81 


CHAPTER  XV. 
SLAVE  HOLDERS'  CONSISTENT  FAMILY  WORSHIP 

THE   -SLAVE    holders'    MORNING  SERVICE. 

Slaveowners'  Worship. 
Air — any  long  metre. 

"Come  let  us  join,  our  God  to  praise, 
Who  lengthens  out  our  fleeting  days. 

The  shades  of  one  more  night  have  passed 
Which  has  to  many  been  the  last. 

And  thus,  Kind  Providence,  it  seems. 

Has  kept  us  through  our  midnight  dreams. 

Our  dogs  have  guarded  well  the  door 

And  Lord,  what  could  v/e  ask  Thee  more? 

Thy  promise,  Lord,  has  been  our  stay: 

Not  e'en  a  slave  has  run  away. 
While  scores  have  left  on  every  side 

To  seek  Lake  Erie's  doleful  tide. 

O !  grant  us.  Lord,  a  great  display 
Of  Tny  rich  mercies  through  this  day. 

May  we  in  strength  our  work  pursue. 
And  love  Thee  as  slave-holders  do." 

Let  us  unite  in  prayer : 

"Supremely  great,  and  worthy  of  all  adoration  art  Thou,  O 
Lord,  our  heavenly  Father.  The  cattle  upon  a  thousand 
hills,  and  the  negroes  in  a  thousand  fields  are  Thine.  We 


82 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


thank  Thee,  Lord,  for  the  manifold  blessings  with  which  Thou 
art  supplying  us,  Thine  humble  and  obedient  servants,  not- 
withstandmg  our  merits  deserve  them  all,  for  Thou  hast  said 
the  righteous  shall  enjoy  the  good  of  the  land.  Now,  Lord, 
we  have  not  much  time  to  pray,  for  Thou  see'st  how  those 
devilish  slaves  are  squandering  away  their  time.  Lord,  re- 
vive Thy  work  in  our  midst.  Grant  us  all  a  large  increase 
of  slaves  for  the  traders  this  fall,  that  we  liiay  obtain  the 
means,  through  Thy  well  directed  providence,  to  rear  Thee  a 
magnificent  temple  in  which  Thou  wilt  love  to  dwell,  and 
where  Thou  wilt  love  to  pour  out  Thy  spirit  upon  Thy  Zion. 
O !  Lord  God,  when  we  go  into  the  fields  among  those  ignor- 
ant, hard  headed  creatures,  (over  whom  Thou  hast  made  us 
to  rule),  may  Thy  glory  so  shine  in  our  countenances  that 
one  of  us  shall  subdue  a  thousand,  and  bind  ten  thousand 
upon  the  racks  from  the  ungovernable  malice  of  enraged 
negroes.  Deliver  us  from  the  influence  of  a  guilty  conscience; 
deliver  us  from  the  abolition  creeds,  and  from  the  slanderous 
tongues  of  enthusiastic  politicians.  Deliver  us  from  insurrec- 
tions and  perplexity  of  minds,  good  Lord,  deliver  us.  Give 
us  and  our  dogs  our  daily  bread,  and  our  negroes  their  full 
pecks  of  parched  corn  or  cotton  seeds  per  week.  Strengthen 
the  horse  and  his  rider,  and  make  the  limbs  of  the  fugitive 
weak.  Confound  the  cunning  schemes  of  anti-slavery  men. 
Bless  the  government  which  Thou  didst  redeem  from  the 
British  yoke  of  oppression,  and  didst  wash  and  make  clean  by 
the  precious  blood  of  the  heroes  of  '76.  Bless  the  star 
spangled  banner,  which  floats  over  the  land  of  the  free  and 
the  home  of  the  brave.  May  her  stars  increase  in  number 
and  brightness,  and  eagle's  wings  be  extended  o'er  all  the 
virgin  soil  of  our  continent  until  his  beak  shall  pick  the  fugi- 
tive from  his  lurking  places  in  the  cold  regions  of  British 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


83 


America,  while  his  tail  shall  oveishadow  the  slaves  in  Yucatan. 
And  may  his  pinions  cast  their  pleasant  shade  over  all  the 
free  born  sons  of  America,  from  Providence  to  Monterey, 
while  he  shall  bear  in  his  mighty  talons,  for  ages  to  come, 
four  millions  of  ignorant  slaves  with  all  their  posterity.  Hear 
us,  good  Lord,  and  according  to  Thy  manifold  mercies,  bless 
and  sanctify  us.  Give  us  more  than  we  are  able  to  ask  for  at 
this  time,  and  in  the  end  save  all  the  white  people  who  have 
supported  Thy  holy  institution  and  performed  Thy  will, 
through  Jesus  Christ,  our  Redeemer,  Amen." 

SLAVE  HOLDERS'  CONSISTENT  FAMH.Y  WORSHIP. 

THE    SLAVE    HOLDERS'     HYMN    TO   BE    SUNG     AT  EVENING 

PRAYERS.    (Short  Metre.) 

'A  charge  to  keep  I  have, 

A  negro  to  maintain. 
Help  me,  O  Lord,  whilst  here  I  live, 

To  keep  him  bound  in  chain. 
We  thank  Thee,  Lord,  for  grace 

That's  brought  us  safe  this  far, 
While  many  of  our  dying  race 

Were  summoned  to  Thy  bar. 

No  negroes  have  I  lost — 

Not  one  has  run  away. 
I  have  been  faithful  to  my  trust 

Through  this,  another  day. 
Lord,  we  cannot  lie  down 

Till  we  implore  Thy  grace. 
For  if  we  do  a  mighty  frown 

Will  cover  o'er  Thy  face. 


84 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


Draw  nigh,  just  now,  O  Lord, 
And  listen  while  we  pray, 

And  each  petition — every  word. 
Pray  Answer  and  Obey. 


SLAVE-HOLDERS'  CONSISTENT  SERMON. 

Copied  from  imagination's  parchment  roll,  where  this,  and 
many  other  things,  have  been  on  perpetual  record  from  child- 
hood. Ficticious,  as  it  is,  and  as  ridiculous  as  it  may  appear, 
I  defy  any  minister,  white  or  black,  who  preaches  to  the  slaves 
in  the  south,  to  preach  any  better  doctrines  and  have  his 
preaching  harmonize  with  the  institution  of  slavery.  The 
whole  sentiment  is  consistent  with  slavery,  and  the  old  ex- 
perienced southerner  will  read  many  things  in  this  dis- 
course which  he  has  heard  before.  This  is  preached  more  gen- 
erally on  the  Sabbath,  previous  to  the  usual  holidays  by  the 
"Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Policy." 

"Well,  darkies,  I  am  happy  to  see  so  many  shining  eyes, 
and  greasy  faces  today.  It  speaks  two  great  truths;  first,  that 
you  are  all  awake  to  your  own  welfare;  and  secondly,  that 
your  masters  treated  you  well  and  gave  you  meat.  You  have 
come  out  today  to  hear  the  word  of  God.  I  hope  you  will 
pay  strict  attention  to  what  is  said,  and  treasure  it  up  in  good 
and  honest  hearts.  My  text  is  not  taken  directly  from  the 
Bible,  that  is,  not  our  Bible,  but  yours.  We  all  respect  your 
Bible  more  than  we  do  the  white  man's  Bible,  or  otherwise 
the  word  of  God,  for  your  Bible  you  can  obey,  but  ours  you 
cannot.  The  text  is  recorded  in  the  laws  of  Maryland,  A. 
D.  1715,  Chapter  44,  Section  22.    '-All  negroes  and  other 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


85 


slaves  already  imported,  or  hereafter  to  be  imported  into  this 
province,  and  all  children  born,  or  hereafter  to  be  born  ol 
such  negroes  and  slaves,  shall  be  slaves  during  their  natural 
lives."  In  the  first  place,  I  shall  show  God's  wisdom  dis- 
played in  the  system  of  slavery.  Second,  the  master's  great 
responsibiUty.  Third  and  last,  the  consequence  of  dis- 
obedience. God's  wisdom  is  displayed  in  the  system  of 
slavery.  The  text  declares  positively  that  you  shall  all  be 
slaves  during  your  natural  lives.  What  a  great  blessing  God 
has  brought  to  you,  my  colored  friends,  through  the  economy 
of  His  divine  grace.  A  greater  blessing  never  was  conferred 
on  mortals.  From  the  birth  of  Adam  until  the  present  day 
we  are  taught  in  our  Bible  that  God  wrought  miracles  upon 
the  Egyptians — brought  the  children  of  Israel  over  the  Red 
Sea — preserved  them  in  the  wilderness  in  safety.  But  by 
and  by  they  entered  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  a  land  of 
freedom,  and  immediately  they  began  to  have  trouble  and 
discord.  But  you,  my  colored  friends,  have  been  prepared 
with  a  perpetual  home  through  life.  You  are  as  trees  planted 
by  the  river  of  waters,  whose  branches  fail  not.  O  that  you 
might  praise  the  Lord  for  his  goodness  and  for  His  wonderful 
works  toward  you  black  people. 

Again,  God's  wisdom  is  displayed  in  the  institution  of 
slavery,  in  its  great  plan  of  perpetuating  the  negro  race. 
"The  white  men,  the  masterpiece  of  God's  creation."  when 
tracing  nature  through  various  windings,  while  the  good  Sa- 
maritans were  seeking  upon  the  face  of  God's  earth  for 
objects  of  pity  and  compassion,  somehow,  very  mysteriously, 
were  wafted  by  the  kind  breezes  of  heaven  to  the  burn- 
ing shores  of  Africa.  There  they  found  the  sooty  tribes  of 
that  hot  climate  very  much  degraded.  At  first  they  scarcely 
knew  what  to  call  them;  they  so  much  resembled  the  orang- 


86 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


outang  as  to  cause  a  great  controversy  among  God's  people. 
Finally  they  were  seen  to  bow  with  reverence  and  adore  an 
image  of  their  own  making.  Again,  they  were  seen  warring, 
slaying  and  eating  each  other,  and  sacrificing  one  another  by 
thousands  to  their  deities. 

This  disposition  was  so  much  like  that  of  the  low  class  of 
whites  that  they  felt  the  spirit  of  pity  and  compassion  move 
towards  those  poor  God  forsaken  creatures,  and  a  plan 
"was  immediitely  formed  for  their  protection  and  elevation. 
They  were  at  once  taken  on  board  ship,  kindly  treated, 
and  safely  brought  to  America,  where  they  were  put  in  the 
care  of  kind  men  who  provided  for  them,  clothed  and  fed 
them,  and  comforted  them  in  sickness  and  in  health.  And 
here  you  have  been  until  the  present  day.  Now  you  can  see 
what  God  has  done  for  you  in  instituting  this  system  of 
slavery.  You  were  found  an  ignorant  set,  no  top  on  your 
heads — and  it  is  doubtful  whether  you  had  any  soul — more 
than  the  apes  that  played  around  you.  But  through  the 
economy  ot  God's  grace  you  have  been  transplanted  upon 
American  soil,  and  through  much  toil  on  the  part  of  the 
white  man,  you  are  becoming  quite  intelligent.  The  white 
mm,  through  amalgamation,  has  not  only  imparted  to  you 
his  straight  hair,  high  nose,  blue  eyes,  thin  lips  and  perfect 
form,  but  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  you  have  a  soul  much  re- 
sembhng  his,  which  will,  by  his  care  and  attention,  and  your 
obedience  to  his  precepts,  stand  a  great  chance  to  be  ad- 
mitted upon  the  ground  floor  of  God's  glorious  temple  in 
heaven — this  is  better  than  a  thousand  lives  in  Africa,  and 
who  would  despise  his  chains,  which  are  but  for  a  moment, 
and  then  passeth  away — for  the  blessings  which  flow  out  of 
the  system  ot  slavery.  The  text  declares  that  you  shall  be 
slaves  your  natural  lives,  which  may  signify  that  it  is  your 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


87 


nature  to  be  slaves.  That  is,  that  you  are  created  to  be  ser- 
vants of  the  white  mar,  and  all  the  children  to  be  born  of 
you  are  to  be  slaves.  Yes,  Susan,  that  little  blue-eyed  boy 
you  are  now  trotting  upon  your  knee — the  express 
image  of  his  young  master  Thomas,  is  to  be  a  slave,  and 
should  you  ever  see  the  least  disposition  of  his  young  master 
exciting  his  aspirations  to  freedom,  you  must  crush  that  dis- 
position immediately,  and  repeat  to  him  the  language  of  the 
text. 

Again  God's  wisdom  is  displayed  in  making  you  with 
strong  constitutions.  See  what  large,  robust,  fat,  greasy 
looking  fellows  you  all  are.  See  what  clear,  white  teeth  you 
have.  Just  look  at  me.  See  what  a  puny,  slender,  delicate, 
pale  looking  creature  I  am,  my  teeth  all  decayed.  I  could 
not  crack  parched  corn  and  cotton  seeds  and  get  fat  like  you 
all  do.  If  I  should  take  a  hoe  or  pitchfork  in  my  hands  they 
would  be  soiled,  and  if  I  should  work  an  hour  they  would  be 
blistered  so  bacly  that  I  could  not  correct  a  slave  again  for  a 
month.  Just  look  at  my  hand  now.  The  other  day  I  took 
hold  of  a  rough  cowhide  without  my  gloves  on,  and  gave  a 
young  impudent  wench,  who  told  my  wife  something,  forty 
lashes,  and  it  raised  this  great  blister  you  see.  I  was  never 
made  to  work.  Look  at  those  great,  broad-sided,  good, 
healthy  looking  wenches  sitting  before  me.  What  arms  they 
have.  Any  of  them  can  work  from  daylight  until  dark  in 
the  field,  when  the  sun  is  so  hot  that  the  overseer  has  to  ride 
under  an  umbrella,  and  your  mistress  would  almost  faint  just 
walking  out  in  the  garden.  Thus,  you  can  plainly  see  that 
God  has  not  made  the  white  man  to  work.  He  is  only  to 
think,  plead  law,  make  laws,  preach,  pray,  and  carry  the  gos- 
pel to  the  heathen,  and  superintend  God's  works,  while  the 
blacks  were  made  to  do  the  hard  and  dirty  work.    For  this 


88 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


they  had  constitutions  peculiarly  adapted.  But  again;  God's 
wisdom  is  further  displayed  in  the  economy  of  slavery  by 
creating  you  void  of  natural  affections,  as  regards  family 
sociability,  and  maternal  and  parental  love  for  your  husbands, 
wives  and  children.  Therefore,  our  conscience  is  void  of  of- 
fense toward  God  or  you  negjoes,  when  we  separate  the  hus- 
bands from  their  wives  and  children,  for  it  is  for  the  purpose 
of  rearing  up  fine  temples  for  the  glory  of  God  and  his  King- 
dom. 


Abraham  Lincoln, 

Eraancipater  of  over  four  and  a  half  million  slaves;  elected  President 
November,  1860;  assassinated  April  12,  1865.  by  Wilkes  Booth. 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


91 


CHAPTER  XVL 

THE  SORROW  OF  PARTING  CHILD. 

O,  tell  me  papa,  when  mother  dies, 

Will  she  come  home  again? 
Or  will  we  meet  above  the  skies, 

Where  Christ  the  Savior  reigns? 
Would  you  not  like  to  die  tonight. 

If  mother,  too,  would  die? 
And  with  sweet  angels  dressed  in  white,. 

Meet  her  above  the  sky  ? 

FATHER. 

O,  yes,  my  child,  my  life  is  dear,^ 

And  you  I  love  full  well ; 
But  I  no  longer  can  tarry  here, 

I  soon  will  bid  this  world  farewell. 
I  cannot  live,  my  heart  is  broke. 

My  grief  is  more  than  I  can  bear; 
This  very  strap  and  that  great  oak ; 

Will  end  my  life  in  deep  despair. 

Early  Friday  morning,  April  12,  1861,  I  took  my- 
master  to  Wilmington.  On  the  way  we  stopped  and 
took  in  another  man.  As  we  neared  Wilmington  we 
could  hear  the  booming  of  cannons,  for  the  rebels  had 
fired  upon  Ft.  Sumter,  and  we  could  hear  the  echo  of 
the  guns  as  it  came  down  the  Cape  Fear  river  and  was. 


92 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


borne  out  on  the  broad  bosom  of  the  Atlantic.  My 
master,  in  ^reat  excitement,  slapped  his  hands  together, 
and  with  an  oath,  said,  ''its  come."  Both  of  them 
^rew  deathly  pale,  and  looked  at  each  other  as  though 
they  were  surprised.  My  master  hastily  wrote  a  short 
note,  sealed  it  and  gave  it  to  me,  with  directions  to 
hurry  home,  cautioning  me  very  particularly  not  to 
stop  until  I  reached  home  and  delivered  the  note  to  his 
wife. 

'  I  saw  that  every  white  man  in  Wilmington  was 
greatly  agitated  and  wore  a  look  of  anxiety.  In  a 
moment  everything  that  had  been  told  me  by  the 
Yankee  soldiers,  and  by  the  underground  railroad  men, 
flashed  in  my  mind;  for  many  of  them  had  told  me 
that  I  would  some  day  be  free,  and  we  looked  forward 
to  that  day  with  great  expectations. 

I  drove  as  fast  as  I  could  to  the  five  mile  farm, 
which  was  in  charge  of  the  colored  overseer.  Uncle 
Tom  could  read  and  write,  and  I  wanted  to  know  what 
was  in  the  note.  I  had  many  times  slipped  him  the 
newspapers  from  the  house,  and  carried  them  back 
early  the  next  morning  before  master  called  for  them, 
and  he  taught  me  to  listen  carefully  to  every  conversa- 
tion held  between  the  white  people.  I  drove  up  to  the 
fence,  where  fifty  or  sixty  men  and  women  worked  in 
the  field.  I  could  hear  them  singing  and  shouting,  for 
they  too,  had  heard  the  booming  of  the  cannon,  and 
Uncle  Tom  had  told  them  that  that  was  a  token  of 
liberty.  But  when  they  saw  the  old  "carry-all"  drive 
up,  each  one  ran  to  his  or  her  work;  the  overseer  came 
to  the  carriage,  supposing  master  wanted  to  see  him, 


FRON  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


93 


but  to  his  surprise  master  was  not  there.  He  called 
the  slaves  around  and  had  me  explain  how  master  act- 
ed at  the  sound  of  the  guns,  then  he  made  a  speech  to 
them,  telling  them  to  pray  as  they  had  never  prayed 
before.  I  gave  him  the  note  I  had  for  mistress:  he 
looked  at  the  envelope,  studied  for  a  moment,  rubbed 
his  head,  and  then  thoroughly  wet  the  seal;  he  opened 
the  letter  and  read  it.    The  letter  read  as  follows: 

''We  have  fired  on  Fort  Sumter.  I  may  possibly  be 
called  away  to  help  whip  the  Yankees;  may  be  gone 
three  days,  but  not  longer  than  that.  You  write  a  note 
and  send  William  to  Sawyer,  [that  is  the  overseer  on 
the  farm  where  we  live]  and  tell  him  to  keep  a  very 
close  watch  on  the  negroes,  and  see  that  there's  no 
private  talk  among  them.  Have  Martin,  the  over- 
seer's son,  aid  you,  and  if  Elliott  or  Fuller  come  on  the 
place,  give  them  no  opportunity  to  talk  with  the 
negroes. 

Your  husband, 

Joe  Cowens." 

(This  Fuller  referred  to  in  the  note  is  the  son  of  the 
Fuller  mentioned  in  a  previous  chapter,  and  who  was 
murdered  because  he  was  suspected  of  being  connected 
with  the  underground  railroad,  and  also  of  aiding  my 
father,  who  had  already  partially  paid  for  his  freedom, 
in  trying  to  get  away.) 

After  reading:  the  note  Uncle  Tom  told  me  to  drive 
back  and  go  around  by  the  Salisbury  road.  This  took 
me  nearly  two  miles  out  of  the  way,  but  in  the  middle 
of  this  road  was  a  large  mud  puddle.    He  told  me  to 


94 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


drive  in  there,  very  fast,  then  get  out  and  wade  in  the 
water,  and  get  the  envelope  wet  and  muddy.  He- 
showed  me  how  to  smear  it  over  with  my  hands  so 
mistress  would  not  detect  that  it  had  been  opened.  He 
also  showed  me  how  to  make  saliva  or  crocodile  tears. 
He  said  mistress  would  be  on  the  porch  watching  for 
me,  and  that  I  should  pretend  to  cry,  at  the  same  tim6 
get  the  envelope  from  my  pocket,  handing  it  to  her 
with  the  left  hand.  She  would  take  it  with  her  ris^ht 
hand,  tear  it  open  and  drop  the  envelope  on  the 
ground.  As  soon  as  she  was  gone  I  was  to  pick  it  up 
and  destroy  it.  Mr.  Fuller  was  in  the  house,  having 
come  to  see  master  on  business,  so  when  mistress  heard 
the  carriage  coming  she  came  to  the  big  gate  to  meet 
it,  thinking  master  was  returning,  and  left  Mr.  Fuller 
in  the  house.  When  I  saw  her  coming  I  made  some 
crocodile  tears  by  wetting  my  fingers  with  saliva. 
As  soon  as  she  saw  that  master  was  not  with  me,  she- 
came  rushing  to  the  buggy  and  found  me  shedding 
tears  as  fast  as  I  could.  In  a  very  tender  tone,  with 
her  hand  upon  my  head,  she  asked  me  what  was  the 
matter.  At  this  I  broke  down  completely  and  cried 
aloud,  at  the  same  time  feeling  in  my  pocket  for  the 
envelope,  and  telling  my  sad  story,  between  sobs,  of 
how  I  had  dropped  it  in  the  mud  hole.  She  eagerly 
grasped  it  and  tore  it  open,  not  noticing  that  it  had 
ever  been  opened  before,  and  patting  me  on  the  head^ 
she  said,  "hush,  mistress  can  read  it."  That  instantly 
healed  my  pretended  broken  heart  and  dried  up  my 
manufactured  tears. 

She   started  for  the  house,  forgetting  she  had  not 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT.  95 

cautioned  me,  so  she  came  back  and  told  me  "that  Mr. 
Fuller  was  in  the  house,  and  for  me  not  to  mention 
anything  to  him,  or  any  one  on  the  place,  concerning 
the  cannon  firing. "  She  then  wrote  a  note  and  gave  it 
to  me  to  take  to  Mr.  Sawyer.  She  had  dropped  the  en- 
velope and  I  was  glad  when  she  was  out  of  sight. 
Picking  up  the  envelope  I  put  it  in  my  mouth,  chewed 
it  up,  removed  a  harness  peg,  put  the  pulp  in  the  hole, 
and  replaced  the  peg.  If  the  old  barn  is  still  standing 
the  envelope  is  there  yet.  I  took  the  note  to  Mr. 
SaTvyer  and  in  a  short  time  he  was  at  the  house  in  close 
consultation  with  her.  Then  he  went  after  his  son 
Martin,  and  they  both  went  over  to  the  five  mile  farm, 
where  Uncle  Tom  was  overseer.  She  wrote  another 
note  to  Mr.  Bailey,  a  poor  white  man  living  about  a 
mile  away,  and  he  came  at  once  and  took  charge  of  our 
farm.  He  was  once  overseer  on  our  place,  bat  was  so 
cruel  that  massa  discharged  him.  So  now  he  served 
as  an  extra  two  or  three  days  at  a  time  for  the  differ- 
ent overseers  in  the  community,  for  which  he  received 
seventy-five  cents  per  day,  and  what  he  could  get  the 
slaves  to  steal  for  him,  for  notwithstanding  their  in- 
humanity to  the  slaves,  they  kept  up  a  constant  trade 
with  them.  They  stole  their  master's  corn,  wheat, 
chickens,  hogs,  etc. ,  and  carried  them  to  the  overseer, 
for  which  he  would  give  them  a  little  flour,  and  oc- 
casionally a  dime  or  tw^o,  and  very  often  Avhen  he  was 
about  to  whip  them  he  Avould  let  them  off  by  their 
promising  to  bring  him  some  meat  or  chickens. 
Master  came  home  that  night,  and  after  supper  five  or 
six  of  the  leading  men  from  Wilmington  came.  After 


96  FKOM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 

I  brought  in  the  demijohn,  glasses  and  water,  master 
told  me  that  I  could  go  to  bed,  because  he  would  want 
me  to  go  away  with  him  early  the  next  day.  But 
instead  of  going  to  bed  I  pulled  off  my  shoes,  tip-toed 
down  stairs  and  peeped  through  the  keyhole,  and  not 
making  an  exception  to  the  rule,  my  ear  did  its  share 
of  listening.  They  got  into  a  hot  discussion,  and  I 
heard  one  of  them  say,  "if  the  Yankees  whipped, 
every  negro  would  be  free."  I  became  satisfied  that 
the  negro  was  the  bone  of  contention,  and  that  the 
light  of  liberty  was  probably  about  to  dawn,  so  I  went 
to  bed. 

On  the  morning  of  April  15th,  1861,  I  left  home 
with  my  master  to  go  to  the  war  and  whip  the  Yankees 
in  three  days;  I  carried  a  club  for  the  first  three  days 
to  knock  off  Yankees'  horns  with,  for  my  master  told 
me  that  they  had  horns.  We  were  gone  more  than 
three  months;  we  didn't  whip  them,  but  were  gaining 
a  victory  in  every  battle  that  was  fought,  and  this  was 
encouraging  to  the  rebels.  ^  You  could  hear  the  south- 
ern ladies  singing  ''Old  Lincoln  and  his  hireling 
troops  would  never  whip  the  South."  We  came  home 
on  a  week's  furlough,  then  returned  to  be  gone  six 
months,  but  before  the  expiration  of  the  six  months, 
my  master  was  killed  by  a  shell  bursting  at  Greenville, 
Tennessee,  near  the  place  where  John  Morgan  was. 
killed. 


W.  H.  ROBINSON,  a  captured  colored  servant,  taking  the  oath  of  allegiance, 
dressed  in  a  Rebel  General's  uniform,  before  General  Thomas.     This  was  but 
one  of  the  Union  soldiers'  jokes  played  on  us. 


98 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


CHAPTER  XYII. 

At  first  the  northern  people  were  chagrined  and  dis- 
heartened. Then  came  a  renewed  determination. 
They  saw  the  real  character  of  the  war,  and  no  longer 
dreamed  that  the  south  could  be  subdued  by  ji  mere 
display  of  military  force.  They  were  to  fight  a  brave 
people — Americans — who  were  to  be  conquered  only 
by  a  desperate  struggle.  During  the  first  year  of  the 
war  the  Confederates  had  captured  the  large  arsenals 
at  Harper's  Ferry,  near  Norfolk.  They  had  been 
successful  in  the  two  great  battles  of  the  year — Bull 
Run  and  Wilson's  Creek;  also  in  the  minor  engage- 
ments at  Big  Bethel,  Carthage,  Lexington,  Belmont, 
and  Ball's  Bluff.  The  Federals  had  saved  Fort  Pickens 
and  Fort  Monroe,  and  captured  the  forts  at  Hatteras 
Inlet  and  Port  Royal.  They  had  gained  the  victories 
of  Phillippi,  Rich  Mountain,  Boonville,  Carricks' 
Ford,  Cheat  Mountain,  Carnifex  Ferry  and  Dan- 
ville. They  had  saved  for  the  union,  Missouri,  Mary- 
land, and  West  Virginia.  Principally,  however,  they 
had  thrown  the  whole  south  into  a  state  of  sies^e — the 
armies  on  the  north  and  the  west  by  land,  and  the 
navy  in  the  east  by  sea,  maintaining  a  vigilant  block- 
ade. 

After  the  death  of  my  master  I  remained  as  cook 
for  the  company  until  November,  1863,  when  at  Blue 
Springs,   Tennessee,  Generals   Thomas   and  Burnside 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT, 


99 


routed  Hood  and  Forrest,  after  a  short  contest;  and  in 
the  retreat,  I,  with  many  others,  was  captured.  J  was 
with  the  cooks'  brigade.  There  were  about  fifty  of  us, 
and  each  one  was  riding  one  of  those  long  eared  fel- 
lows, that  lean  against  the  fence  and  say,  "I  have  no 
one  to  love  me." 

In  the  retreat  we  had  quite  a  deep  ditch,  or  gully,  to 
cross.  My  animal  was  heavily  loaded  with  camp  ket- 
tles, tin  pans  and  kitchen  utensils  in  general.  When 
the  cavalry  got  to  this  ditch  they  commanded  their 
horses  to  mount,  and  the  horses  leaped  over,  but  I 
suspect  in  the  excitement  I  forgot  to  give  the  necessary 
commands,  for  my  long  eared  friend's  fore  feet  reach- 
ed the  other  shore  safely,  but  his  hind  feet  fell  short 
of  the  mark,  and  down  in  the  ditch  we  went;  such  a 
scramble  you  never  saw.  But  I  found  that  there  were 
many  rebel  soldiers  in  there,  who  were  tired  of  the 
Yankee  lead  and  wanted  to  be  captured.  I  was 
scrambling  to  get  out,  but  they  told  me  to  lie  still,  and 
in  a  few  moments  Yankee  soldiers — both  cavalry  and 
infantry,  seemed  to  have  popped  up  out  of  the  earth; 
while  some  pursued  the  iieeing  rebels,  others  took  us 
to  the  generars  headquarters.  The  rebels  were  sent 
to  the  northern  prisons,  and  the  cooks  and  colored  ser- 
vants that  had  been  captured,  were  next  brought  be- 
fore General  Thomas  and  disposed  of.  I  was  the  last 
man  in  the  line,  and  when  I  came  before  the  general, 
his  first  words  to  me  were,  ' 'you're  a  fine  looking  fel- 
low. Here  we  are  fighting  to  free  you  and  you  are 
here  dressed  up  in  a  suit  of  rebel  uniform."  He  then 
called  his  cook — a  quaint  looking,  cross-eyed  old  man, 


100 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


who  like  myself,  was  ^'hewn  oat  of  a  slab  of  ebony. 
He  said,  ^^Naihan,  Aviiat  sliall  we  do  v,  itb  this  l)oy  f  ^ 
''Haii£r  him  to  the  hiohest  tree  we  cnu  find,-'  said 
Nathan.  ^'Well,  biing  me  the  best  rope  you  can  tind.'' 
Nathan  ooeyed.  He  eame  with  a  rope  as  large  around 
as  his  wrist,  and  about  twenty  feet  long.  The  general 
asked  him  if  he  thought  that  would  hold  me;  he 
answered  in  the  affirmative,  and  General  Thomas  told 
him  to  throw  it  over  the  limb  of  a  tall  oak  which  stood 
near  by.  But  an  officer  by  the  name  of  Lane  rode  up 
and  said:  -'General,  mayl)e  this  boy  will  tai^e  the 
oath  of  allegiance."  I  would  have  taken  most  Jiny- 
thiug  about  this  time.  Then  the  general  inquired  of 
me  if  I  would  take  the  oath.  I  told  him  1  would.  By 
this  time  some  one  said,  'diold  up  your  right  hand." 
Another  said,  ''hold  up  your  left  hand,'*  another 
said,  ''your  right  foot,"  and  another  said,  "your  left 
foor."  I  obeyed  orders  as  fast  as  they  were  give«n 
until  it  came  to  the  left  foot.  I  had  up  all  I  could 
])ossibly  get  u[).  After  having  all  the  fun  they  wanted 
with  me,  the  general  told  Nathan  to  take  me  back 
and  wash  and  clean  me  up.  Uncle  Nathan  took  me  to 
his  tent,  where  he  had  a  kettle  of  boiling  water.  It 
looked  as  if  he  Were  going  to  scald  a  hog;  the-n  began 
the  washing  process.  After  the  old  maw  had  rubbed 
;md  washed  me  until  my  flesh  burned,  and  I  had  put 
on  a  castaway  sHiit  of  General  Thomas',  I  went  to 
headquarters.  After  standing  before  the  large  mirror 
in  the  general's  tent,  1  thought  I  was  the  ri€•he)^t, 
freest  man  in  America.  They  had  carried  the  joke  to 
such  an  extent — for  I  really  thought  they  were  goiisg 


FKOM  LOG   CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


101 


to  hang  me — that  I  was  sick.  They  administered 
some  medicine  to  me  and  I  lay  down  across  the  gen 
eral's  bed,  General  Thomas  himself  having  told  me  to. 
When  I  awoke  about  3  p.  m.  I  was  betw^een  the  two 
generals,  Burn  side  and  Thomas.  When  I  moved  to- 
wards one  he  would  crowd  against  me,  and  if  I  moved 
towards  the  other  he  would  crowd  in,  until  1  was 
squeezed  as  tightly  as  possible  between  the  two.  They 
were  both  awake,  and  I  could  feel  their  sides  heaving 
until  they  could  not  restrain  their  laughter  any  longer, 
then  General  Thomas  said,  "lie  still  boy,  this  white 
won't  rub  off."    This  was  my  first  day  of  freedom. 

General  Thomas  questioned  me  concerning  my  par- 
ents, and  on  learning  that  my  mother  was  in  Green- 
ville, Tennesse,  he  said;  ^'you  will  see  hor  within  three 
days  if  the  rebels  don't  whip  us."  Accordingly  we 
left  Blue  Springs  that  day  enroute  to  Madison  Court 
House,  Virginia,  which  brought  us  through  Green- 
ville where  mother  was.  It  was  hard  to  prevent  me 
from  being  the  advance  guard.  For  two  days  they 
were  trying  to  hold  me  back,  until  we  finally  reached 
Greenville,  and  I  saw  the  house  in  which  mother  lived. 
Seeing  that  no  rebels  were  near,  the  officers  allowed 
me  to  advance.  Before  I  reached  the  house  I  saw 
mother  and  my  Jewish  mistress,  Mrs.  Hadley,  stand- 
ing on  the  porch.  Everybody  seemed  very  much  ex- 
cited, and  the  rebel  army  was  retreating. 

Having  changed  my  uniform,  from  the  rebel  gray  to 
the  Yankee  blue,  my  mother  did  not  recognize  me 
until  1  was  at  the  orate;  then  she  came  runnifio-  and 
shouting  "this  is  William.".   I  was  saying  in  one 


102 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


breath. — not  waiting  for  one  question  to  be  answered 
before  I  asked  another,  '4iow  are  you?"  I  am  free, 
Mre  you?  Get  ready  to  oro  to  the  Yankees;  has  master 
the  same  black  horse  and  buggy?"  She  told  me  he 
had.  I  told  her  to  go  pack  up  whUe  I  hitched  the 
horse  to  the  buggy.  When  I  returned  to  the  house 
the  soldiers  had  surrounded  it  and  asked  me  where  my 
mother  was.  I  ran  up  stairs,  tried  to  open  mother's 
door,  when  she  informed  me  that  Massa  Jake  had 
locked  her  in.  The  soldiers  were  hurrying  me  to  get 
my  mother  and  come  on  I  told  them  Massa  had 
locked  her  in,  and  one  of  them  gave  me  an  ax  and 
,  told  me  to  break  the  door  open.  1  told  mother  to 
stand  back  from  the  door.  At  the  same  time  Massa 
Jake  came  in  with  a  shot  gun  in  his  hand,  but  before 
he  could  raise  it  dozens  of  muskets  were  aimed  at  him. 
By  this  time  I  had  the  door  open,  and  there  stood 
mother  with  a  rope  around  the  bureau,  and  every  loose 
article  she  could  get  hold  of  was  wrapped  in  her  straw 
tick,  all  tied  up  ready  for  moving.  She  was  expect- 
ing to  move  the  whole  cargo  in  a  buggy. 

I  had  her  unpack  as  quickly  as  possible  and  gather 
up  her  clothes  and  little  keep-sakes,  so  we  could  oe 
out  of  the  yard  as  soon  as  possible  I  shall  never  for- 
get the  courtesy  shown  mother  by  two  or  three  sol- 
diers, in  helping  her  in  the  buggy.  Being  all  ready, 
and  our  buggy  placed  in  line  with  the  other  contra- 
bands—for tlieie  were  between  one  hundred  and  tifty 
and  two  hundred  wagons,  mule  carts,  pack  horses, 
mules  and  even  milch  cows,  we  started  on  our  journey . 
Most    of   the  southern  men  had  gone  to  war,  and 


FROM  LOG  CABIX  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


103 


those  who  were  too  old  to  go  had  taken  the  women  and 
gone  to  the  cities,  leaving  the  farms  and  countrv  homes 
virtnally  in  charge  of  the  cohered  people.  I  had  an 
nncle  who  was  left  in  charge  of  a  farm  three  miles 
from  town.  We  passed  by  his  place  on  our  vr-jj  to 
Virginia,  and  when  we  came  in  sight  of  the  farm  we 
could  see  colored  people  by  the  hundreds,  who  had 
gathered  from  other  farms.  The  ncAvs  spread  like 
wild  fire  all  over  the  country  that  the  Yankees  had 
come. 

The  » 'great  house"  was  kept  furnished  the  year 
round  and  left  in  the  colored  overseer's  charofe.  be- 
cause the  family  would  come  back  and  forth,  some- 
times  staying  weeks  at  a  time.  The  veranda  was  filled 
with  men,  women  and  children,  singing,  shouting  and 
praising  God  in  the  highest.  I  hastened  into  the  yard 
and  was  soon  the  center  of  attraction.  Uncle  Isaac 
was  soon  by  my  side,  picking  me  up  and  carrying  me 
around,  shouting  at  lhe  top  of  his  voice,  while  I  was 
struo'glino:  to  get  down,  and  trying  to  drown  his  voice 
so  I  could  tell  him  that  he  was  free,  and  to  pack  up  at 
once  and  go  with  us. 

I  was  inviting  him  to  liberty,  yet  I  had  not  a  shelter 
in  all  the  world  to  put  my  head  save  the  canopy  of 
Heaven.  But  I  had  heard  of  a  country  where  all  men 
were  f  lee.  and  like  Bunyan's  Pilgrim  I  hnd  started  to 
make  it  my  home. 

I  finally  succeeded  in  loosing  myself  from  his  strong 
embrace,  and  then  I  made  a  short  speech  to  all,  telling 
them  to  hitch  their  ox  and  mule  carts,  and  load  up 
their  things  and  go  to  the  Yankees.    There  was  con- 


104  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


siderable  fear  about  their  doing  as  I  said,  until 
some  of  the  soldiers  appeared,  and  helped  to  dispel  this 
fear  by  confirming  what  I  had  said.  It  was  not  long 
until  the  yard  was  fairly  lined  with  wagons,  carts  and 
ever}'  conceivable  beast  of  burden.  They  began  to 
tear  down  their  old  bedsteads,  built  against  the  walls 
of  their  cabins,  and  gather  up  their  rude  furniture, 
when  the  Yankees  asked  what  was  in' the  ''great  house." 
On  learning  that  it  was  furnished  they  demanded  that 
it  be  opened,  and  that  the  people  take  everything 
they  wanted  and  load  their  wagons.  My  uncle  had 
the  key  but  refused  to  open  the  door,  saj^  ing  '  'that 
belongs  to  old  Master."  Fifteen  or  twenty  soldiers 
then  seized  a  huge  log  of  wood  and  broke  the  door 
down. 

'Twas  but  a  few  minutes  until  the  great  place  was 
gutted.  The  piano  was  the  only  piece  of  furniture 
remaining,  and  some  women  wanted  to  take  that  for 
their  girls  when  they  became  educated.  Now  the  wag- 
ons were  loaded  to  their  utmost  capacity.  I  can't  af- 
ford to  spoil  a  good  joke  because  of  race,  color  or 
nationality.  Then  the  children  were  put  on,  and  it 
seems  to  me  now  that  the  mothers  must  have  taken 
some  kind  of  paste  and  put  on  the  backs  of  the  child- 
ren, so  as  to  stick  them  up  against  the  furniture.  They 
were  so  thick  around  the  wagons  it  seemed  there  was 
not  a  spot  left  where  there  was  not  a  baby.  They 
were  of  all  sizes  and  colors;  they  were  black,  dark 
brown,  pumpkin  colored,  yellow  and  half  white.  And 
they  were  all  crying  with  a  different  voice,  giving  dif- 
ferent tunes  to  the  song  they  were  singing.    It  was 


FR03I  LOG  CABIN   TO  THE  PULPIT. 


105 


certainly  n  menagerie  when  the  procession  left  the 
farm.  Some  of  the  babies  were  ciying  alto,  some 
soprano,  some  bass,  but  most  of  them  baritone — be- 
cause it  was  bare  of  all  music. 

Of  course  all  of  our  masters  were  honorable,  and 
these  children  were  all  called  by  their  master's  name — 
but  they  didn't  call  them  papa  all  the  time.  Many  of 
their  mothers  were  as  honorable  as  a  woman  conld  be 
under  the  circumstances,  but  many  times  in  order  to 
save  their  backs  from  being  lacerated  they  obeyed  the 
command  of  their  master,  and  their  commands  were 
not  always  honorable. 

The  soldiers  now  moved  forward  toward  Knox vi He, 
Tennessee.  We  had  four  or  five  hundred  men,  women 
and  children  in  this  great  march  from  a  land  of  servi- 
tude to  a  land  of  liberty.  Sometimes,  like  Pharaoh  of 
old,  the  old  masters  would  pursue  their  slaves,  and 
even  come  into  the  camp,  but  the  slaves'  fears  would 
soon  be  dispelled  by  the  stern  command  of  some  Yan- 
kee soldier  or  officer,  who  would  order  the  rebs  to 
leave  the  camp.  Many  times  they  subjected  them  to 
some  humiliating  treatment — such  as  riding  the  rail 
horse,  or  carrying  a  barrel  up  the  hill  and  rolling  it 
down  again,  and  they  would  continue  this  process  for 
hours.  After  skirmishing  for  a  week  or  ten  days  we 
arrived  at  Knoxville^  Tennessee,  where  we  sold  the 
horses,  mules,  oxen,  buof^ies  and  wasfons  to  G-eneral 
Thomas.  I  bought  an  old  log  cabin  on  the  old  battle 
field  for  my  mother.  I  was  to  give  seventeen  dollars 
for  this  property.  I  could  count  from  one  to  fifty, 
but  I  could  not  tell  the  denominations;  I  didn't  know  a 


106  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


ten  dollar  bill  from  a  one;  so  I  counted  out  seventeen 
bills  and  paid  for  the  place.  Later  I  learned  that  I 
had  paid  some  forty  or  fifty  dollars  for  it. 

About  this  time,  in  1863,  Frederick  Douglas  went 
to  Washington  to  see  President  Lincoln,  telling  him 
'•that  our  people  were  digging  breast  works,  exposed 
to  the  shot  and  shell,  and  why  not  give  them  guns  and 
let  them  have  a  hand  in  freeing  themselves  and  saving 
the  union."  Lincoln's  reply  was  that  the  feeling  at 
the  north  was  running  so  high  he  didn't  know  what 
the  result  would  be,  for  no  measure  of  the  war  was 
more  bitterly  opposed  than  the  project  of  arming 
slaves.  It  was  denounced  at  the  north,  and  the  con- 
federate congress  passed  a  law  vvhich  threatened  with 
death  any  white  officer  captured  while  in  command  of 
negro  troops,  leaving  the  men  to  be  dealt  with  accord- 
ing to  the  laws  of  the  state  in  which  they  were  taken. 
Douglas  s:\id  he  returned  home,  but  slept  but  little  that 
night,  for  he  continually  called  on  God  to  in  some  way 
bring  peace  out  of  the  confusion,  and  open  the  way 
for  colored  men  to  sfet  on  the  field  of  battle  as  enlisted 
soldiers.  The  next  morning  by  nine  o'clock  Douglas 
said  he  was  at  the  capitol  and  closeted  with  the  presi- 
dent. To  his  surprise  Lincoln  told  him  that  Grant 
had  sent  for  a  division  of  colored  soldiers.  Lincoln 
commissioned  Douglas  as  recruiting  officer,  and  sent 
him  to  Boston,  Massachusetts,  where  he  mustered  in 
the  5tl:th  and  55th  colored  regiments.  These  were  the 
first  colored  regiments  organized  in  the  free  states. 

Col.  Shaw  led  the  5tl:th  regiment  in  its  first  battle  at 
Fort  Wagner.     After  keeping  us  in  reserve  for  three 


FROM  LOG   CABIN  TO  THE  PirLPIT. 


107 


hours  Avhile  the  union  soldiers  were  falling  like  wheat 
before  the  sharpened  sickle,  Col.  Shaw  asked  to  lead 
the  black  phalanx  into  the  battle,  notwithstanding  he 
knew  it  meant  certain  death  to  him  if  he  was  captured, 
the  confederates  having  said  they  would  not  take  any 
union  soldier  prisoner  who  was  in  command  of  colored 
troops,  for  they  did  not  recognize  the  colored  men  as 
citizens  or  soldiers,  therefore  would  not  consider  them 
or  their  leaders  as  prisoners  of  war.  Col.  Shaw  sent 
his  oi'derly  back  to  the  wagon  train.  lie  returned  in 
a  few  moments  and  handed  the  Colonel  a  b'mdle,  which 
contained  a  regimental  silk  llag  with  the  inscription, 
^'To  the  54th  Colored  Regiment,  Robert  G.  Shaw, 
Colonel.  Presented  by  the  White  Ladies  of  Boston, 
Massachusetts."  Our  regiment  went  wild  at  the  sight 
of  the  flag.  They  carried  Col.  Shaw  up  and  down  the 
line  on  their  shoulders,  cheering  like  mad.  As  he 
handed  the  flag  to  Carney,  the  flag  bearer,  the  Colonel 
said,  '^Carney,  will  you  return  this  flag  to  us  in  honor?" 
His  answer  Avas,  '-Colonel,  I  Avill  do  so  or  report  to 
Crod  the  reason  I  do  not."  The  roll  was  called  and 
twelve  hundred  men  and  ofl&cers  answered  to  their 
names.  The  battle  was  on.  Our  gallant  Colonel's  side 
was  torn  by  a  shell  a  few  moments  after.  His  dying  words 
were,  '^boys,  don't  let  the  flag  go  down."  His  body 
never  touched  the  ground,  being  borne  to  the  rear  by 
his  colored  troops,  one  of  whom  was  instantly  killed. 
His  place  was  immediately  filled  by  another.  '  Carney's 
right  arm  was  shot  oflf  during  the  battle.  As  he  fell, 
holding  the  flag  with  his  left  hand  and  in  his  teeth,  he 
shouted,   ''boys,   don't  let    the  old  flag  go  down." 


108  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 

When  the  roll  was  called  after  the  battle  seventy-seven 
had  answered  to  their  last  roll  call,  having  fallen  de- 
fending the  flag  and  fighting  for  their  liberty.  Colonel 
Shaw  was  buried  with  his  many  black  soldiers  who  lost 
their  lives  in  this  fierce  battle. 

At  one  time,  in  order  to  be  in  season  for  an  assault, 
these  regiments  marched  two  days  through  heavy 
sands  and  drenching  storms.  After  only  five  minutes 
rest,  we  took  our  place  at  the  front  of  the  attacking 
column.  The  men  fought  with  unflinching  gallantry, 
and  planted  their  flags.  So  willing  were  the  negroes 
to  enlist,  and  so  faithful  did  they  prove  themselves  in 
service,  that  in  December,  1863,  over  fifty  thousand 
had  been  enrolled,  and  before  the  close  of  the  war  that 
number  was  quadrupled. 

I  recognized  then  that  I  was  to  take  part  in  one  of 
the  greatest  wars  of  modern  times.  The  war  of  the 
rebellion  was  now  on,  w^hen  the  numbers  engaged  in  it, 
and  the  extent  of  territory  affected  are  considered.  It 
was  primarily  a  war  based  on  sentiment.  The  long, 
but  peaceful  and  prayerful  contest  of  the  abolitionist 
against  the  slave  power,  and  the  earnest  and  faithful 
prayer  of  the  slave  himself,  all  crowded  the  throne  of 
a  just  God,  and  had  aroused  the  whole  country,  so 
that  everywhere,  in  every  state  in  the  union,  there  was 
a  sharp  division  of  opinion  among  the  people.  It  is 
true  always,  however,  that  God  makes  the  wrath  of 
man  to  serve  him,  and  out  of  the  war  of  the  rebellion 
the  slave  fought  his  way  to  freedom.  What  a  glorious 
record  the  Afro-American  made  in  that  war!  It  is  one 
of  the  brightest  pages  in  all  history.    In  the  early 


FKOM  LOG  CABIX  TO  THE  TULriT. 


109 


stages  of  the  war  he  was  not  even  allowed  to  drive  the 
teams,  to  dig  trenches  or  to  throw  up  breastworks  for 
the  union  army.  The  soldiers  of  the  north  declared 
that  this  was  a  white  man's  war,  and  that  sentiment 
had  made  it  very  dilBcnlt  for  the  government  at  Wash- 
ington to  call  for  colored  troops,  hnt  before  the  close 
of  the  war  he. was  a  regularly  enlisted  soldier  in  all  the 
departments,  to  the  number  of  200,000,  and  had  fought 
with  such  valor,  such  heroism,  from  Fort  Wagner  to 
Fort  Fisher,  from  New  Market  Heights  to  Petersburg, 
that  w^hen  the  victorious  union  army  at  last  marched 
into  Richmond,  the  fallen  and  deserted  capitol  of  the 
lost  cause,  he  was  accorded  the  first  place  of  honor  at 
the  head  of  the  column!  Thirty  six  years  afterwards 
Colonel  Theodore  Roosevelt,  of  the  rough  riders,  com- 
mented on  the  bravery  of  the  black  soldiers  after  the 
brilliant  charge  of  a  successful  capture  of  San  Juan 
H'll.  Thirty  six  years  after  Colonel  Robert  Gould 
Shaw  was  buried  with  his  negroes,  in  the  sands  of 
Morris  Island,  the  world  has  looked  with  enthusiasm 
upon  the  heroic  deeds  and  gallantry  of  the  negro  sol- 
dier, and  today  he  is  filling  his  station  from  West  Point, 
the  mUitary  center  of  the  world,  to  the  navy  that  plows 
the  distant  seas  and  watches  the  gate  way  to  this  nation. 
This  fact  is  demonstrated  when  you  recall  to  memory 
the  25th  of  January,  1-898,  >vhen  the  battleship  Maine 
steamed  into  the  harbor  of  Havana.  She  went  there 
on  an  errand  of  peace,  the  representative  of  a  friendly 
powei-.  On  the  15th  of  February  the  Maine  Avas 
blown  to  atoms  by  a  floating  mine,  together  with 
two  hundred  sixty-six  American  sailors,  of  whom  more 
than  thirty  were  negroes. 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


Ill 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

In  1864,  near  Blue  Springs,  Tennessee,  three  union 
soldiers  became  separated  from  their  army,  and  when 
passing  through  a  small  oak  grove  one  of  them  got 
into  the  quicksand.  The  others,  supposing  their  com- 
panion was  closely  following  them,  pursued  their 
course. 

This  poor  hero  was  left  behind,  struggling  for  his 
life  in  the  quicksand,  for  three  days  and  nights,  buoy- 
ing himself  up  from  sinking,  with  the  aid  of  such  sticks 
and  brush  as  he  could  reach.  This  location  was  but  a 
short  distance  from  a  large  southern  mansion.  The 
men  had  all  gone  to  war  and  there  were  left  but  a  few 
old  colored  mothers  to  protect  the  old  mistress. 

Aunt  Nancy  Jordan  dreamed  one  night,  or  saw  a 
vision,  as  she  termed  it,  that  she  saw  a  man  in  trouble 
near  the  springs,  and  that  she  heard  a  voice  saying: 
'^Nancy,  go  to  the  east  spring."  She  claimed  to  have 
heard  that  call  three  different  times  that  night  in  her 
dreams,  and  early  the  next  morning  she  took  her  pail 
and  went  to  the  spring.  When  near  the  place,  she 
heard  a  human  voice  pleading  for  help.  She  then 
realized  her  dream  or  presentiment,  and  on  looking  saw 
a  union  soldier  buried  to  his  arm  pits  in  the  quick- 
sand. She  knew  just  what  it  meant,  and  started  to- 
ward him.  He  murmured  for  her  not  to  come  too 
close.    Her  reply  was  ''God  bless  you  chile,  I  knows 


112 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  TULPIT. 


all  about  dis  place. "  She  felt  her  way  as  close  to  him 
as  possible,  or  until  she  felt  the  quicksand  giving  way 
under  her,  then  she  gathered  brush  and  bridged  her 
way  over  to  him,  or  near  enough  to  reach  him  with  a 
long  handled  gourd.  She  then  went  to  the  spiing, 
which  was  not  over  twenty  feet  away,  and  secured 
water  for  him,  as  his  tongue  was  so  badly  swollen  that 
he  could  scarcely  speak.  She  held  the  gourd  to  his 
lips,  slaked  his  thirst,  and  then  began  the  work  of 
rescue,  piling  brush  around  him.  She  then  got  hold 
of  his  arms  and  assisted  him  out  so  that  he  could  sit 
upon  the  brush. 

That  spring  was  nev^er-  used  by  the  people  from  the 
mansion  on  account  of  the  quicksand,  and  alkali  in  the 
water.  Nruicy  returned  to  the  house  with  her  pail  of 
water,  then  hurried  back  with  food  in  the  pail  upon 
her  head.  In  this  wny  she  fed  him  for  three  weeks, 
at  the  end  of  which  time  one  morning  she  heard  the 
tramp,  tramp  of  a  mighty  army.  Bands  were  playing 
and  bugles  sounding.  Then  she  saw  old  Missie 
scampering  for  the  cellar,  for,  said  she:  ''Nancy, 
they  are  Lincoln's  hirelings,  for  they  are  all  dressed 
in  blue."  Aunt  Nanc}^  hurried  to  the  spring  and  told 
the  soldier  that  the  Yankees  were  coming.  He  at  once 
came  from  his  hiding  pl.ace.  When  he  reached  the 
yard  of  that  mansion  he  found  it  swarming  with  union 
soldiers.  He  said  to  Aunt  Nancy,  'T  can't  leave  you 
here,  for  you  must  go  with  us."  She  replied:  'T 
promised  old  master  not  to  leave  old  missie  'till  he 
comes  hazk  from  de  Avah."  But  he  assured  her  that  it 
meant  her  freedom,  and  asked  if  she  had  not  prayed  to 


FRON  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT/ 


113 


be  free?  She  replied:  ''Yas  sah,"  and  that  if  it 
meant  her  freedom  she  would  bid  old  missie  good  bye. 

There  was  a  pathetic  scene  at  this  parting.  Old 
mistress  ventured  to  the  porch  and  took  her  last  long 
look  at  her  old  ex-slave,  as  the  Yankee  soldier  was 
helping  her  into  the  wagon. 

Aunt  Nancy  became  cook  in  the  camp  for  the  officers, 
and  this  soldier,  whom  she  had  rescued,  looked  after 
her  as  though  she  were  his  mother.  He  was  an 
Englishman,  and  had  come  to  this  country  about  the 
time  of  the  beginning  of  the  war.  He  naturalized  and 
enlisted.  When  he  was  discharged  he  took  Aunt 
Nancy  to  England  with  him  and  presented  her  to  his 
mother  as  the  preserver  of  his  life.  She  had  been  in 
London  two  years  or  more  when  I  arrived  there,  and 
was  among  the  most  honored  women  of  the  city. 

She  came  back  to  America  on  the  same  steamer  that 
1  came  on.  She  w^as  certainly  looked  upon  as  a  sancti- 
fied, christian  woman. 

The  soldier  who  took  her  over  was  bringing  her  back. 
He  would  have  her  dress  in  the  same  costume  she  wore 
when  she  rescued  him  from  the  quicksands,  and  thus 
gave  an  exhibition  every  few  days.  She  was  not 
now  the  same  illiterate  Aunt  Nancy  that  she  was  three 
years  ago,  for  contact  with  educated  and  refined 
people  had  polished  her  up  wonderfully. 


ARTYRED   PRESIDENT  jMcKixLEY. 


TEOM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT.  115 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  NEGRO  IN  IT. 

T    111  the  last  civil  war, 

The  white  folks  they  began  it. 
Bat  before  it  could  close, 
The  negro  had  to  be  in  it. 

2  At  the  battle  of  San  Juan  hill, 
The  rough  riders  they  began  it; 
But  before  victory  could  be  won 
The  negro  had  to  be  in  it. 

3  The  negro  shot  the  Spaniard  from  the  trees. 
And  never  did  regret  it, 

The  rough  riders  would  have  been  dead  today. 
Had  the  negro  not  been  in  it. 

4  To  Buffalo  McKinley  went, 
To  welcome  people  m  it, 

The  prayer  was  prayed,  the  speeches  made, 
The  negro  he  was  in  it. 

5  September  sixth,  in  Music  Hall, 
With  thousands,  thousands  in  it, 
McKinley  fell  from  the  assassin's  hand — 
And  the  negro,  he  got  in  it. 

6  He  knocked  the  murderer  to  the  floor, 
He  struck  his  nose,  the  blood  did  flow; 
He  held  him  fast,  all  near  by  saw  it, 
When  for  the  right  the  negro  is  in  it. 


116 


FKOM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


7  J .  R.  Parke  is  his  name, 

He  from  the  state  of  Georgia  came ; 
He  worked  in  Buffalo  for  his  bread, 
And  there  he  saw  McKinley  dead. 

8  They  bought  his  clothes  for  souvenirs, 
And  may  they  ever  tell  it — 

That  when  the  president  was  shot, 
A  brave  negro  was  in  it. 

9  McKinley  now  in  heaven  rests. 
Where  he  will  ne'er  regret  it; 

And  well  he  knows,  that  in  all  his  joys, 
There  was  a  negro  in  it. 

ID    White  man,  stop  lynching  and  burning 
This  black  race,  trying  to  thin  it — 
For  if  you  go  to  heaven  or  hell, 
You  will  find  some  negro  in  it. 

11  You  may  try  to  shut  the  negro  out 
The  courts,  they  began  it, 

"  But  when  we  meet  at  the  judgment  bar 
God  will  tell  you  the  negro  is  in  it. 

12  Pay  them  to  swear  a  lie  in  court. 
Both  whites  and  blacks  will  do  it; 
Truth  will  shine,  to  the  end  of  time, 
And  you  will  find  a  negro  in  it. 

13  If  there's  a  position  to  be  filled, 
In  congress  or  in  senate, 

We  people  of  this  nation  pray 
This  negro  may  get  in  it. 

Mrs.  Lena  Mason. 


FROM  LOG  CABIX  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


117 


I  enlisteil  in  the  5ith  Massachusetts,  where  I  re- 
mained nine  months;  was  transferred  to  the  2Sth 
Indiana,  on  account  of  having  an  uncle  in  that  regi- 
ment. I  remained  in  the  arm\-  from  July,  1S63,  until 
December.  IS 65.  Was  in  the  following  regular  bat- 
tles: Battle  of  the  Wilderness.  Kenesaw  Mountain, 
Chancellorsville.  Virginia.  Culpepper,  Virginia. 
Antietam,  Maryland,  Blue  Springs,  Missionary  Ridge. 
Xashville,  and  Grreenville.  Tennessee  and  many  other 
skirmishes. 

I  was  mustere^l  out  on  December  22,  1865,  with  no 
home  to  go  to,  no  starting  point  or  object  in  life.  The 
rebels  had  raided  Knoxville,  Tennessee,  and  mother, 
with  all  the  colored  people,  had  left  there,  and  I  could 
gain  no  knowledge  concerning  her  whereabouts.  I  saw 
my  mother  in  1863,  when  I  left  her  in  the  little  log- 
cabin  in  Knoxville,  and  I  never  saw  her  again  for 
fifteen  years.  The  medium  then  used  in  finding  any 
of  our  people  was  the  church.  Any  one  looking  for  a 
lost  relative  would  send  letters  of  inquiry  to  all  the 
difi:'erent  churches  in  the  United  States  and  Canada, 
describing  the  person,  and  giving  names  of  masters 
they  had  belonged  to,  so  far  as  they  knew.  So  I  tried 
to  find  my  mother,  and  at  the  expiration  of  a  few  years 
I  heard  of  a  woman  in  Huntsville,  Alabama,  answermg 
the  description.  There  was  great  difl&culty  in  finding 
our  people  because  they  were  sold  so  often,  and  had  to 
take  the  name  of  each  master.  Knowing  that  my 
mother  was  a  christian  woman,  and  would  be  identified 
with  some  church,  I  wrote  to  all  the  churches  in  Hunts- 
ville, and  finally  received  an  answer,  stating  that  a 


lis  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


woman  answering  that  description  had  lived  there,  but 
not  of  that  name — for  1  inquired  for  Rosy  Hadley,  the 
name  of  her  last  master. 

I  then  went  to  Hunts ville,  and  after  spending  a 
month  of  constant  research  and  inquiry  I  had  to  give  it 
up  as  futile.  I  returned  to  Nashville,  but  did  not  give 
up  the  search  through  the  medium  of  letters.  Finally 
I  received  a  letter  from  Chattanooga.  I  went  there 
and  spent  more  than  two  months,  but  to  no  avail. 
After  this  1  heard  nothins^  from  her,  or  concerninof 
her,  for  over  six  years.  Daring  this  time  I  learned  ' 
that  I  had  a  brother  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania. 
After  the  exchange  of  a  few  letters  we  were  satisfied 
that  we  were  brothers,  niid  he  came  to  see  me.  It 
proved  to  be  my  oldest  brother,  James,  who  had  run 
away  from  Wilmington  in  1860.  He  went  to  an 
underground  railroad  station  twelve  miles  from  Wil- 
mington. Here  he  was  put  in  a  box,  this  box  was 
enclosed  in  another  box,  and  the  second  box  in  a  third 
box,  and  sent  by  express  to  New  York,  where  he  was 
released  from  his  somewhat  cramped  quarters  in  Rev. 
Henry  Ward  Beecher's  parlor.  To  give  him  air,  holes 
were  bored  in  each  box,  care  being  taken  that  they 
were  not  opposite  each  other.  From  New  York  he 
went  to  Toronto,  Canada,  was  educated  by  the  Presby- 
terian church,  serving  many  years  as  a  pastor.  He 
died  in  1890.  About  three  hours  before  his  death  he 
sat  propped  up  in  bed,  and  preached  a  sermon,  using 
as  his  text  ^ 'Blessed  is  the  man  who  dyeth  in  the  Lord. 
He  shall  rest  from  his  labors  and  his  works  do  follow 


FROM  LOG  CABIX  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


119 


him."  After  his  remarkable  escape  hie  always  went  b}' 
the  name  of  -'Box  Brown." 

Through  him  I  found  another  brother,  who  was  a 
locomotive  engineer  over  the  Grand  Rapids  and  Indiana 
railroad.  We  three  were  soon  together  and  again  be- 
gan a  zealous  search  for  mother,  ultimately  locatinsf 
her  in  Lebanon,  Tennessee.  It  was  not  Ions'  until  we 
found  her.  though  not  in  Lebanon,  for  when  we  reach- 
ed there  we  learned  that  she  had  been  gone  from  that 
place  for  nearly  a  year.  She  had  gone  back  to  Knox- 
ville,  in  which  city  I  found  her,  and  when  she  saw  me, 
she  exclaimed,  like  Simeon  of  old  on  seeing  Jesus.  •  mow 
Lord,  let  me  die  in  peace,  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  m}' 
son  William  " 

That  memorable  morning,  as  I  left  the  city  of  Xash- 
ville.  with  my  tireman's  uniform  on,  and  two  hundred 
dollars  in  my  pockets,  my  heart  was  buoyant  with 
expectation,  for  it  was  no  more  hope,  but  ;i  grand 
reality,  that  I  would  see  the  faces  of  the  dearest  earth- 
ly friends  I  had — a  mother  and  two  sisters.  The  ar- 
rangemcDts  for  the  meeting  had  been  made  unbeknown 
to  mother.  At  train  time  my  si-ters  were  on  the  alert 
for  me.  and  as  I  neared  the  house  they  called  mother's 
attention  to  some  one  coming.  Mother  came  to  the 
door,  walking  with  a  cane;  she  said,  "that  walks  some- 
thing like  my  William."  But  the  sight  of  mother  so 
elated  me  that  I  bent  my  steps  quick  and  fast  toward 
the  house.  When  I  was  close  enough  for  her  to  recog- 
nize my  face,  she  uttered  the  words  before  stated. 

I  am  lost  for  language  to  describe  the  scene  which 
followed,     The  only  thing  which  cast  a  shadow  over 


120  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO   THE  PULPIT. 


the  pleasure  of  our  meeting  was  when  mother  asked, 
''if  we  had  heard  anything  from  father?"  The  bouse 
of  joy  was  turned  into  lamentation,  but  after  a  while 
quiet  was  restored.  We  never  saw  or  heard  from 
father  after  he  was  sold.  We  learned  that  another 
brother,  named  Andrew,  was  about  eight  miles  from 
Knoxville.  In  a  few  days  he  joined  us  and  we  spent  a 
o^lorious  time  too^ether.  There  were  now  mother  and 
six  children  together — two  sisters  and  four  brothers. 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE   PULPIT.  121 


CHAPTER  XX. 

I  returned  to  Nashville^ — which  I  considered  home — 
after  several  weeks'  visit  with  mother.  I  re-entered 
on  my  duties  as  fireman — for  I  was  a  member  of  the 
City  Fire  Department,  and  had  been  engaged  as  hose- 
cart  driver  for  eight  months.  Shortiy  after  my  re- 
turn we  were  called  out  to  a  large  fire.  While  fight- 
ing the  fire  the  captain  called  to  ''Jim  Howard.^' 
After  calling  several  times  and  no  one  seemingly  hear- 
ing him,  he  called  ''Jim  Cowens,"  and  that  attracted 
my  attention.  I  looked  to  see  who  would  answer,  and 
seeing  a  man  on  top  of  the  house  answering,  I  im- 
mediately climbed  on  the  building. 

I  inquired  of  Jim  ''where  he  came  from,"  and  many 
similar  questions,  and  it  was  but  a  few  minutes  until 
we  recognized  each  other  as  brothers.  Now  you  can 
better  imagine  what  followed  than  I  can  express  it.  It 
came  to  the  ears  of  the  City  Council  of  the  City  of 
Nashville,  "that  two  brothers  who  had  served  eight 
months  in  No.  2  Hose  Company,  had  just  recognized 
each  other  as  brothers— having  been  separated  for  six- 
teen years. "  In  honor  of  our  meeting  they  gave  us  a 
public  reception. 

One  extreme  always  follows  another,  for  in  three 
weeks  from  the  time  of  our  recognition,  my  brother 
w^as  thrown  seventy-two  feet  from  the  hook  and  ladder 


122 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


against  the  stone  custom  house,  and  every  bone  in  his 
body  was  broken;  he  died  instantly. 

I  served  seventeen  months  in  the  fire  department, 
and  resigned  to  accept  a  situation  as  singer  and  banjo 
player  in  a  troupe  gotten  up  by  S.  C.  Wallace.  The 
troupe  was  known  as  the  ''Tennessee  Singers"  (not  the 
original  Tennessee  Jubilee  Singers,  yet  we  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  public  at  large  to  the  extent  that 
we  were  constantly  in  demand. )  We  made  a  tour  from 
Nashville,  Tennessee,  to  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  thence  to 
Terre  Haute,  Indiana,  from  there  to  Chicago,  Spring- 
field. Bloomington,  Illinois,  LaPorte,  Indiana,  Detroit, 
Michigan,  and  Windsor,  Canada.  On  our  return  trip 
we  sang  in  the  following  cities  in  Michigan:  Grand 
Rapids,  Battle  Creek,  Kalamazoo  and  Niles,  then  back 
through  Indiana  and  Kentucky  to  Nashville,  Tennessee. 
We  sang  nothing  but  the  southern  melodies — songs 
composed  by  our  fathers  and  mothers  in  the  days  of 
slavery.    We  disbanded  in   November,  1868. 

In  January,  1869,  I  hired  to  what  was  known  as  the 
Hanlon's  Wizard  Oil  Company,  with  seven  others,  at 
twelve  dollars  per  month  and  board.  The  contract 
was  for  one  year.  If  there  was  any  one  thing  I  was 
accomplished  in  it  was  picking  the  banjo  and  singing; 
and  I  soon  became  the  center  of  attraction  along  these 
lines.  We  gave  street  concerts  for  advertising  th^  oil. 
We  made  a  tour  of  the  leading  cities  of  Indiana,  Illinois 
and  Michigan,  thence  to  New  York  City,  where  we 
took  passage.  May  21,  1869,  on  the  steamer  "City  of 
New  York, "  for  London,  England. 

Everyone  treated  me  so  different  than  I  was  used  to 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


during  the  time  of  slavery,  that  I  forgot,  to  some  ex- 
tent, the  hardships  through  which  I  had  passed,  and 
more  than  once  stopped  and  inquired  of  myself  ^'is  this- 
heaven,  and  am  I  in  it?" 

The  passage  over  was  a  very  pleasant  one,  and  we 
arrived  in  London  the  27th  day  of  June,  1869.  We 
neared  London — the  metropolis  of  the  w^orld.  I  saw 
hundreds  of  vessels,  the  white  winged  messengers  of 
commerce,  coming  from  all  directions,  loaded  for  Lon- 
don harbor. 

The  news  had  been  cabled  before  us  that  we  would 
arrive  June  27th,  and  hundreds  of  the  populace  were 
at  the  harbor.  Their  curiosity  had  been  aroused  to 
the  highest  tension.  We  repaired  to  Hotel  de  France, 
where  we  were  the  center  of  attraction;  hundreds, 
followed  the  carriages  in  which  we  rode  to  the  hotel, 
and  ran  over  each  other  in  order  to  get  a  look  at  the- 
ladies  and  gentlemen  from  America.  After  supper  we 
went  to  St.  Paul's  Cathedral — which  had  a  sealing  ca- 
pacity of  over  two  thousand.  Here  we  gave  our  first 
concert.  The  people  were  wild  with  enthusiasm,  and 
fairly  rained  shillings,  three  cent  pieces  and  !x)uquets 
to  us  on  the  stage. 

At  the  close  of  this  first  concert,  a  gentleman  by  the 
name  of  William  S.  Becken worth,  known  as  Lord 
Beckenworth,  with  one  son  and  two  daughters,  made 
their  way  to  the  stage.  After  introducing  themselves 
they  requested  me  to  go  home  with  them  that  night, 
which  I  could  not  do  without  the  consent  of  the  man- 
ager, Mr.  Howard.  They  at  once  went  to  him,  and 
he  promised  them  that  I  could  go  the  next  night. 


121  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PTILPIT. 

After  the  sale  of  medicine  the  next  night  I  was  es- 
corted to  the  cab  by  this  family,  and  carried  to  their 
home  as  a  guest;  and  in  one  single  bound  I  leaped  from 
•'Bill  Cowens  to  Lord  Co  wens,  or  the  Gentleman  from 
America." 

Now  the  great  panorama  of  my  life,  as  a  free  man, 
began.  My  associations  were  entirely  different  to 
those  I  had  been  used  to — even  in  my  master's  home. 
As  I  recall  that  nio^ht  it  becomes  a  nio^ht  of  wonder  to 
me.  As  I  entered  that  palace,  on  St.  Mark's  avenue, 
as  a  guest,  they  seated  me  in  the  center  of  their  spac- 
ious parlor,  and  served  me  with  refreshments.  One  of 
the  daughters  placed  a  napkin  across  my  chest  and 
gave  me  a  serrer,  upon  which  w^ere  several  varieties 
of  very  fine  fruit.  Eighteen  or  twenty  of  their  friends 
were  present,  and  all  except  myself  seemed  to  enjoy 
the  luxuries  to  the  highest  extent.  This  being  my  first 
time  to  be  served  on  social  equality  with  white  people, 
of  course  I  was  very  much  embarrased.  I  put  some  of 
the  most  delicate  fruit  in  my  mouth,  but  it  seemed 
almost  impossible  for  me  to  masticate  it,  for  the 
longer  I  chewed  it  the  larger  it  seemed  to  grow,  until 
I  could  not  swallow.  Of  course  1  told  them  that  I 
was  not  hungry  and  did  not  care  for  the  refreshments, 
but  way  down  in  my  heart  I  was  wishing  that  I  had 
the  server,  with  the  refreshments  upon  it,  behind  the 
house — in  a  few  minutes  they  would  have  known  that 
I  had  been  there.  After  a  time,  j^itying  my  embar- 
rasment,  the  tray  was  removed,  and  I  was  asked  to  tell 
them  something  of  myself  and  family. 

I  entertained  them  for  an  hour  and  a  half  or  two- 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


125 


hours,  and  the  party  retired  for  the  night:  but  before 
leaving  each  one  gave  me  a  shilling,  and  left  with  the 
understanding  that  I  Avas  to  tell  them  more  about  my 
people  the  next  night.  After  the  father  had  famil}^ 
prayer  they  showed  me  the  room  I  was  to  occupy  and 
bade  me  good-night. 

After  locking  ttie  door,  and  carefully  examining  the 
windows  with  a  scrutinizing  eye,  1  searched  every 
crack  and  crevice  in  the  room.  Then  I  got  under  the 
bed  and  felt  the  springs.  I  had  heard  my  master, 
years  before,  tell  about  trap  doors  under  the  beds  in 
New  Orleans,  and  that  people  would  get  into  bed 
only  to  find  themselves  in  some  dark  alley.  They  had 
passed  through  a  trap  door  and  down  a  slide.  Of 
course,  in  these  cases,  the  motive  was  robbery.  I 
don't  know  why  I  was  fearful,  since  I  had  no  money 
save  what  the  people  had  given  me.  But  the  great^ 
unsolvable  mystery  surrounding  me  was,  why  I,  an 
€X-slave,  should  be  paid  such  high  respect  among 
strangers. 

There  was  a  night  shirt  for  me  to  sleep  in,  also  a 
breakfast  gown  of  heavy  velvet.  I  examined  both 
these  articles  of  comfort,  laid,  them  back  Avhere  I 
found  them,  took  both  the  sheets  off  th«  bed  and 
folded  them  up,  laid  them  on  a  chair  and  climbed  in 
bed.  I  began  to  sink  so  fast  in  the  middle  of  the  big^ 
feather  bed — had  anyone  been  on  the  outside  they 
could  have  heard  me  gasping  and  catching  my  breath 
— for  with  all  my  careful  searching  for  the  trap  door  I 
thought  I  Avas  gone,  but  I  finally  landed  on  mj  pillow 
of  repc»se. 


126 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THK  PULPIT. 


The  second  night  was  almost  a  repetition  of  the  first. 
I  was  like  the  country  lad  who  went  to  the  city  to  visit 
a  lady  friend.  He  used  a  little  of  the  weed.  Not 
being  accustomed  to  use  a  cuspidor  lie  s[):it  over  in  a 
corner.  The  lady  noticing  it,  pushed  the  cn-pidor  to 
one  side  of  him.  He  shoved  it  away.  She  tried  put- 
ting it  in  front  of  him.  Finally,  in  desperation,  he 
blurted  out,  'df  you  don't  take  that  gol  darned  thing 
away  I'll  spit  in  it.''  I  looked  at  the  night  shirt  and 
said  to  myself,  'df  that  is  here  another  night.  I  will 
put  it  on,"  also  the  breakfast  robe,  I  thought  the  same 
thing  concerning  it.  So  the  third  night,  finding  the 
night  shirt  still  there,  I  put  it  on;  the  next  morning 
on  going  down  to  breakfast  I  put  on  the  breakfast  robe. 
I  saw  the  girls  cast  glances  at  each  other  and  wink,  as 
much  as  to  say  "he's  learning." 

I  was  in  England  eleven  months  and  a  half,  and  dur- 
ing that  time  I  slept  only  three  nights  out  of  Lord 
Beckenvvorth's  house.  We  went  to  the  different  ham- 
lets, as  far  as  forty  miles  from  London,  but  always 
returned  there  at  night.  The  roads  in  London  were  so 
carefully  kept  that  you  could  drive  forty  miles  there 
while  driving  half  that  distance  in  America.  But  the 
first  five  months  of  our  time  were  spent  principally  in 
the  different  cathedrals  and  opera  houses  in  London. 
During  the  first  three  or  four  weeks  of  that  time  there 
were  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  guests  at  Lord  Beck- 
enworth's  house  every  night  to  hear  me  talk  about  my 
slave  life.  But  after  that  his  tw^o  daughters  conceived, 
and  put  into  execution,  the  grandest  thought  that 
could  have  entered  their  minds.    That  was,  to  try  to 


frojM  log  cabin  to  the  pulpit. 


127 


instill  in  me  the  idea  of  education.  The}^  bought  books 
and  started  on  their  laborious  work,  excusing  the  visi- 
tors that  came  each  night,  and  inviting  them  to  come 
only  on  Friday  nights,  and  this  they  did  in  large  num- 
bers. At  first  the  two  sisters  were  both  teachers,  one 
sitting  in  class  with  me,  while  the  other  taught,  and 
vice  versa.  Many  nights  vv^e  sat  up  from  10  to  12 
o'clock — for  I  was  very  anxious  to  learn.  After  get- 
ting the  rudiments  in  my  mind  I  learned  with  surpris- 
ing quickness,  and  knew  my  letters  as  if  by  magic. 
1  could  have  worn  out  both  of  these  girls  physically, 
so  they  decided  to  take  turn  about,  one  each  night. 
And  for  ten  consecutiv^e  months  I  atteaded  school  in 
this  home,  these  two  angels  of  mere}'  being  my  teach- 
ers. The}'  were  faithful,  tireless  and  unfeigned  in 
their  efforts  to  give  me  some  educational  light.  When 
I  got  so  I  could  spell  words  of  two  syllables  I  was  like 
the  old  fellow  when  he  had  learned  his  alphabet.  He 
said  ''he  had  too  much  edification  to  stay  here  or  any 
whar  else. " 

Once  a  week  the  visitors  would  attend  in  large  num- 
bers to  see  how  much  I  had  advanced,  and  1  delighted 
very  much  in  reciting  before  them.  They  were  very 
much  amused  when  I  came  to  spell  certain  words, 
especially  ^ 'baker."  I  spelled  it  in  that  dialectical  way, 
pronouncing  each  syllable  in  such  a  way  that  it  would 
cause  a  burst  of  laughter  each  time.  As  I  have  said 
before,  I  learned  very  rapidly,  had  an  uncommon  verb- 
al memory,  and  in  eight  months'  time  was  able  to  read 
plain  reading  and  could  write  fairly  well.  I  recall  the 
first  letter  I  wrote.    It  was  to  Ulysses  S.   Grant,  at 


128  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 

that  time  president  of  the  United  States.  I  wanted  to 
write  to  the  greatest  man  in  the  world,  and  I  thought 
after  Lincoln  Grant  was  next.  I  reminded  him  of  an 
incident  that  occurred  during  the  battle  of  Kenesaw 
Mountain,  in  1864.  He  and  his  staff  rode  up,  a  tree 
limb  knocked  his  hat  off,  and  I  thoughtlessly  stepped 
out  of  my  ranks,  picked  up  the  hat  and  handed  it 
to  the  general.  I  received  a  very  severe  reprimand 
from  my  captain,  but  General  Grant  called  him  and  in 
a  few  words,  unheard  by  me,  he  satisfied  the  captain. 
Then  he  said  to  me,  "boy,  if  we  both  live  to  get  out 
of  the  war,  let  me  know  where  you  are  and  I'll  re- 
member you  for  this  favor. " 

So  I  wrote  to  President  Grant,  informing  him  that  I 
was  alive,  and  had  risen  from  the  ranks  of  a  private 
soldier  in  the  union  army  to  a  Lord,  (in  title  but  not 
in  wealth)  in  England.  Miss  Emeline — the  older  daugh- 
ter of  Lord  Beckenworth,  wrote  also,  as  I  dictated  and 
wrote — for  I  spoke  audibly  every  word  I  wrote.  Of 
course,  when  I  had  finished  my  letter  it  looked  as  if 
blueing  had  been  poured  into  a  plate  and  a  chicken  had 
walked  into  it,  then  over  the  paper.  All  the  lawyers 
in  the  United  States  could  not  have  read  it.  But  Miss 
Emeline's  letter  was  enclosed  with  mine.  This  was 
the  first  letter  I  ever  wrote  in  my  life,  and  a  day  or 
two  after  I  mailed  it  I  began  to  trouble  the  post- 
master. I  went  twice  a  day,  expecting  an  answer  from 
my  letter,  not  considering  it  had  to  cross  the  sea.  I 
was  like  two  negro  men,  one  a  runaway  from  the 
south,  who  had  crossed  the  line  and  gotten  safely  into 
the  north:  the  other  was  a  barrister  in  the  north.  The 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


129 


runaway  negro  inquired  of  the  lawyer  the  way  into 
Canada.  The  latter  scratched  his  cranium  for  a 
moment,  cleared  his  throat,  pulled  off  his  gloves, 
looked  over  his  spectacles  ^md  said,  '^vvell,  sa-ar,  if 
you  go  by  de  steamboat  and  it  blowed  doAvn,  whar  is 
yoQ?  If  you  go  on  the  steam  kears  and  dey  blowed  up, 
dar  you  is;  but  if  yoa  go  on  the  junegraph  (meaning 
telegraph)  you  are  dar  now." 

I  wrote  my  letter  to  America  and  thought  by  the 
next  day  it  was  ''dar  now."  But  in  about  thirty  days 
the  post  master  was  made  glad,  and  I  made  to  rejoice. 
It  certainly  must  have  been  a  source  of  joy  to  him  to 
be  honored  with  the  privilege  of  handing  me  the  first 
letter  I  ever  received  for  myself  in  my  life;  but  he 
must  have  be^n  gladdened  to  be  relieved  of  a  trouble- 
some customer.  The  president  p:ud  me  a  very  high 
compliment  for  the  exalted  station  I  had  reached  in  so 
short  a  time,  and  invited  me  to  visit  rhe  White  House 
on  my  return  to  America.  He  advised  me  to  remain 
in  England  until  I  was  thoroughly  polished  at  the 
hands  of  this  noble  family,  so  that  I  might  return  a 
useful  man  to  my  race  and  the  nation.  He  wrote  Miss 
Emetine  a  fine  letter,  commending  me  as  a  soldier, 
and  thankino;  her  for  the  interest  she  and  her  sister 
had  taken  in  the  new  citizen  of  America,  hewn  out  of  a 
slab  of  ebony. 

Eleven  months  spent  almost  entirely  away  from  my 
people,  save  a  few  hours  at  night,  and  constant  asso- 
ciation with  the  Caucasian  race,  wrought  quite  a  won- 
derful change  in  myself  and  habits.  As  association 
breeds  assimilation,  I  had  gotten  almost  entirely  rid  of 


130  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


that  southevD  dialect.  My  aspirations  began  to  mount 
above  my  environments  and  from  that  time  I  began  to 
seek  higher  things  in  life.  The  spirit  of  manhood 
which  lay  slumbering  in  my  breast  began  to  awaken. 

This  ambition  to  make  something  of  myself  was 
further  strengthened  by  an  incident  which  occured  at 
this  time.  Frederick  Douglas,  marshall  of  the  Dis- 
trict of  Columbia,  was  paying  London  a  visit.  Queen 
Victoria,  in  order  to  give  the  people  an  opportunity  of 
seeing  this  great  man,  took  him  in  the  royal  carriage 
through  the  principal  streets  of  the  city.  The  car- 
riage was  drawn  by  twelve  horses,  and  each  horse  was 
led  by  a  man  in  uniform.  All  London  turned  out  to 
do  honor  to  America's  famous  colored  orator.  The 
sight  of  Mr.  Douglas  as  he  stood  up  in  the  carriage, 
hat  in  hand,  his  silvery  hair  falling  to  his  shoulders, 
bowing  right  and  left  to  the  crowds  of  people  who 
were  shouting  themselves  hoarse  in  their  enthusiasm, 
fired  me  with  the  desire  to  become  a  public  speaker. 

Soon  I  began  to  get  ready  to  embark  for  America 
again.  I  had  made  many  friends  during  my  stay  in 
England,  who  proved  to  be  friends  indeed,  for  the 
night  before  my  departure  they  gave  me  a  grand  re- 
ception, two  hundred  and  twenty  dollars  and  enough 
clothing  to  last  me  a  year.  This  was  to  enable  me  to 
attend  school,  and  every  year  for  four  years,  they 
sent  me  fifty  dollars.  It  was  as  sad  to  me  parting  from 
these  English  friends  as  it  ever  was  to  part  with  my 
brothers  and  sisters.  When  I  got  in  the  carriage  the 
next  day  dozens  of  friends  stood  around  bidding  me 
adieu,  and  God's  blessings.     But  thank  God,  I  am  not 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT, 


131 


returning  the  same  "William  Co  wens,''  in  appearance 
or  knowledge,  as  when  I  left;  for  new  thoughts  and 
new  ideas,  that  had  lain  slumbering  under  the  iron 
heel  of  oppression  for  twenty-one  years,  groaning  for 
light  and  liberty,  are  now  awakened,  and  thank  God, 
the  light  of  a  new  day  is  dawning  upon  me. 

On  board  the  vessel,  instead  of  entertaining:  the 
guests  with  banjo  picking  and  southern  songs,  I  could 
talk  of  things  of  a  higher  life,  and  the  passengers  soon 
became  interested  in  rne.  So  much  so  that  for  thirty 
nine  days  a  gentleman,  by  the  name  of  Joseph  P,  Ray, 
and  his  wife,  became  my  tutors;  taking  up  my  lessons 
where  I  had  left  off  in  England,  hearing  my  last  lesson 
the  day  we  landed  in  New  York. 

I  wandered  around  this  large  city  for  two  months 
trying  to  find  a  permanent  location,  but  everything 
seemed  either  to  high  or  too  fast  for  me,  so  I  decided 
to  go  back  to  Nashville,  Tennessee.  I  soon  put  my 
decision  into  execution  and  arrived  in  Nashville  in 
June.  The  Methodist  Episcopal  church  established  a 
school  known  as  the  Freedman's  Bureau,  from  which 
sprang  the  great  Central  Tennessee  College.  At  this 
time  it  was  only  an  obscure  log  hut;  today,  it  is  the 
Athene um  of  Education.  I  entered  school  here,  and 
continued  three  years,  until  my  money  was  exhausted. 
I  then  went  to  work  half  the  day  and  attended  school 
the  other  half,  imd  continued  in  school  in  this  manner 
for  one  term.  Many  times  I  had  nothing  in  my  dinner 
pail  but  com  bread  and  stewed  apples.  Often  I  was 
ashamed  for  others  to  see  how  I  was  faring,  and  went 
off  by  myself  to  eat  my  lunch.    My  teacher,  noticing 


132 


FROM  LOG  CABIN   TO   THE  PULPIT, 


that  I  had  about  the  same  thing  each  day,  asked  me  if 
I  never  ate  anything  else  but  corn  bread  and  dried 
apples.  I  felt  very  much  humiliated  to  tell  her  that 
that  was  all  I  was  able  to  have.  She  encouraged  me 
very  much  by  telling  me  of  others  that  had  become 
great  men  in  this  country,  who  had  had  even  less  op- 
portunities than  I,  yet  they  pushed  their  way  to  the 
topmost  round  of  the  ladder  of  fame.  She  also  told 
me  that  a  path  of  great  success  was  before  me.  if  1 
only  continued  as  I  had  started.  After  that  day  she 
never  failed  to  divide  her  dinner  with  me.  I  learned 
very  fast  under  her,  but  finally  had  to  quit  school 
entirely  and  go  to  work.  I  worked  one  year— taking 
care  of  three  ditferent  persons'  horses,  and  making 
fires  in  the  winter.  I  saved  my  money,  and  when 
school  opened  the  next  year  1  started  again.  After 
that  term  I  went  to  night  school. 


FROM  LOG  CABINTO  THE  PULPIT. 


133 


Stephen  D.  Lee. 
Commander-in-Chief  Confederate  Veterans. 

Gen.  Lee  is  direct  in  line  of  the  famous  Lee  families,  and  is  loved 
by  all  people  who  knew  him.  On  Decoration  day,  1907,  he  gave  out 
the  following,  which  is  typical  of  the  feeling  between  the  people  of  all 
sections  of  the  country;-- 

For  myself,  1  believe  the  day  is  near  at  hand  when  our  descendants 
■ — north  and  south — will  be  just  as  proud  of  the  Confederate  soldiers  as 
the  Union  soldiers,  and  they  will  be  quite  satisfied  to  believe  and  say 
of  each  soldier:  "He  fought  for  the  right  as  he  saw  the  right;  he 
measured  his  life  up  to  the  highest  and  best  he  knew;  he  bore  him- 
self like  a  brave  man  and  a  true  patriot." 

QUpon  the  mossy  marble  of  many  Union  and  many  a  Confederate 
soldier  can  be  written:    "He  was  a  very  perfect,  gentle  knight." 

STEPHEN  D.  LEE 
Commander-in-Chief,  Grand    Camp,    Confederate  Veterans, 
Columbus,:Miss.,  May  30,  1907. 

(The  author,  Rev.  W.  H.  Robinson,  was  at  one  time  owned  by  the 
Lee  family.) 


134 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

In  1874  I  entered  the  freshman  class  in  college*.  I 
met  with  another  emharrasment  here,  for  every  one  in 
the  class  was  ahead  of  me.  As  I  did  not  complete  the 
high  school  course  it  made  it  more  difficult  for  me  in 
college.  But  I  had  that  spirit  of  determination,  and 
studied  with  a  will,  and  by  the  close  of  the  term  I  had 
caught  up  with  all  the  class  but  three;  had  mnde  many 
friendS;  and  was  considered  by  all  far  from  being  the 
dullest  boy  in  the  class. 

About  this  time  I  became  very  much  interested  in 
politics,  and  the  issue  of  the  day  was  so  common  that 
it  did  not  require  a  man  of  great  ability  to  become 
a  stump  speaker.  All  I  had  to  do  was  to  remind  my 
people  of  the  fact  that  the  Yankees  freed  them,  and 
that  these  Yankees  were  the  present  republican  party; 
frequent  mentioning  of  the  name  of  Abraham  Lincoln, 
would  stir  all  the  patriotism  there  was  in  them.  I  soon 
became  very  popular  among  my  race,  so  much  so  that 
I  w^as  consulted  on  every  point  of  the  least  importance. 
I  w^as  an  ardent  lover  of  books,  and  read  quite  exten- 
sively. I  would  read  many  nights  all  night,  and  my 
memory  served  me  well.  It  was  the  height  of  my 
ambition  to  be  a  political  orator,  for  I  had  in  me  that 
retaliating  spirit,  and  thought  there  was  no  better  w^ay 
to  give  vent  to  my  feelings  towards  the  southern  people 
than  to  tongue-lash  them  in  politics.    But  after  con- 


FEOM  LOG  CAbm  TO  THE  PULIT. 


135 


suiting  a  few  men  I  saw  that  I  had  the  wrong  spirit, 
and  that  if  I  accomplished  anything  it  must  be  through 
the  spirit  of  love  and  not  of  vengeance.  If  I  wanted  to 
be  a  useful  man  to  my  people  and  country,  I  would 
have  to  learn  ''that  vengeance  belongeth  to  the  Lord." 

Later  1  was  hired  at  Lebanon,  Tennessee,  as  teacher. 
I  had  a  class  of  forty.  The  majority  of  them  was  old 
people  forty -five  and  fifty  years  old.  I  taught  them 
two  terms — each  term  being  only  four  months.  The 
other  four  months  in  the  year  J  worked  at  most  any- 
thing 1  could  catch.  I  became  impatient  with  that 
slow  way  of  making  money,  so  I  resigned  my  school 
and  went  back  to  Nashville.  Through  a  friend  I  was 
given  a  situation  as  porter  for  the  Woodruff  Sleeping 
Car  Company,  which  was  afterwards  bought  out  by 
the  Pullman  Company,  1  continued  in  the  employ- 
ment of  George  L.  Pullman  for  six  consecutive  years, 
during  which  time  I  was  on  every  road  of  any  im- 
portance in  the  United  States  and  old  and  New  Mexico. 

While  rauning  from  Mackinaw  City,  Michigan,  to 
Cincinnati,  1  came  near  being  killed.  At  Ft.  Wayne, 
Indiana,  I  stepped  off  my  car  while  in  motion,  and  was 
dragged  seventy-two  feet  on  my  back,  all  the  while 
hanging  to  the  boxing  of  the  car,  the  wheels  running 
betAveen  my  legs.  The  people  turned  their  backs  to 
keep  from  seeing  me  cut  to  pieces.  As  the  car  stopped 
I  relaxed  my  hold,  and  they  picked  me  up  uncon- 
scious, and  for  some  time  they  thought  that  life  was 
extinct.  They  telegraphed  my  wife  that  I  was  dead, 
but  finally  I  regained  consciousness  and  was  returned 


136  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


home  that  night  on  the  same  train.  This  laid  me  np 
for  three  months. 

After  1  was  restored  to  my  natural  strength  I  accept- 
ed a  position  on  board  a  steamboat  on  Lake  Michigan, 
as  steward  or  cook,  for  the  Graham  Past^enger  Steam- 
boat Compan}',  plying  between  St.  Joseph  and  Benton 
Harbor,  Michigan,  and  Chicago,  Illinois.  Daring  this 
time  I  saw  some  very  stormy  seasons..  I  especially 
recall  one  of  them — the  night  the  Alpena  went  down 
with  her  human  cargo  of  seventy  souls.  I  was  on  the 
steamer  Traitor,  enrou^e  for  Chicago  from  Green  Bay; 
it  was  one  of  the  most  ferocious  seas — so  said  some  of 
the  old  captains  who  had  sailed  the  sea  for  many  years, 
that  they  had  ever  seen.  We  answered  the  signals  for 
help  sent  out  i)y  the  ill-fated  Alpena.  Our  captain 
called  a  council  to  decide  whether  we  would  attempt 
to  to  her  aid  in  the  midst  of  the  terrific  storm  then 
raging.  It  Avas  unanimously  agreed  to  take  our 
chances,  and  the  ship  was  turned  about,  several  times 
nearly  capsizing.  Before  we  succeeded  in  reaching  her 
the  signals  ceased  and  we  knew  that  our  elforts  had 
been  in  vain,  for  the  beautiful  steamer  Alpena,  with 
every  soul  on  board,  had  gone  down  to  a  watery  grave. 
We  finally  weathered  the  storm  and  landed  safely  in 
Chicago  harbor.  On  the  return  trip  I  fell  over  board 
and  had  a  very  narrow  escape  from  death,  but  the  cap- 
tain soon  hauled  his  vessel  to,  and  picked  me  up  after 
I  had  gone  down  and  come  up  the  second  time. 

In  18YT,  while  cooking  at  the  New  England  hotel, 
in  Clark  street,  Chicago,  I  was  one  night  in  the  third 
story  of  a  gambling  den,  owned  and  run  by  two  broth- 


FROM  LOG   CABIN   TO  THE  PULPIT. 


137 


ers — Dan  and  Jim  Scott,  two  very  wealthy  colored 
men.  They  kept  hotel,  roomers,  and  ran  a  gambling 
den,  all  in  one  building.  I  had  drifted  a  way  daring 
my  railroad  and  sailing  careers  into  a  class  of  com- 
pany that  led  me  to  this  miserable  life.  It  seemed  for 
a  time  th  it  all  the  good  that  had  been  accomplished 
through  my  many  friends,  and  self  denial  and  per  - 
severance, were  all  overshadowed  with  darkness,  in 
immorality  and  sin.  Bat  thank  God,  on  New  Year's 
night,  1877,  while  standing  at  the  gambling  table,  I 
heard  my  mother's  voice,  as  I  thought,  as  audibly  as  I 
■ever  heard  it  in  my  life.  She  said,  ''my  son."  in  that 
tender,  motherly  way  in  which  none  save  a  mother  can 
speak,  '  "is  this  what  you  promised  me  when  you  were 
wearing  the  shackles  of  bondage?" 

1  at  (mce  recalled  the  day  when  mother  left  me  in 
Wilmington  to  go  back  to  Greenville,  Tennessee,  when 
she  said,  -'son,  1  have  nothing  in  this  world  to  give 
you,  but  remember  that  manners  and  good  behavior 
will  carry  you  through  the  world;  get  the  religion  of 
Jesus  in  your  heart,  and  if  w^e  never  meet  again  on 
•earth  meet  me  in  heaven."  I  resolved  on  that  night 
that  I  w^ould  not  stop  until  I  was  converted.  All  the 
entreaties  and  prayers  of  my  mother  came  rushing 
upon  my  mind,  and  I  decided  at  once  that  the}^  should 
not  be  in  vain.  My  mind  fully  made  up,  I  left  the 
gambling  den  that  night,  never  to  enter  it  again. 

The  next  day  I  accepted  a  situation  as  head  cook  in 
Evanston,  Illinois,  eighteen  miles  from  Chicago.  I 
was  deeply  convicted  and  began  to  reason  of  righteous- 
ness, temperance  and  the  judgment  to   come.  The 


138 


FKOM  LOG  CABIN  TO   THE  PULPIT. 


more  I  reasoned,  the  deeper  was  my  conviction,  until 
it  seemed  that  the  clock  on  the  wall  as  it  ticked  said 
"repent."  I  became  so  interested  concerning  my 
soul's  welfare,  that  1  could  not  keep  my  mind  on  my 
business,  so  I  began  to  seek  the  Lord  in  prayer.  In 
June  of  the  same  year  I  walked  out  of  the  hotel  about 
eleven  o'clock,  didn't  stop  to  draw  my  money;  the  train 
was  due  for  Chicago  and  was  at  the  depot  when  I  ar- 
rived there.  I  was  so  completely  absorbed  in  thought, 
and  stirred  about  the  salvation  of  my  soul  that  I  walk- 
ed by  the  train,  up  the  track  towards  Chicago.  It 
seemed  as  though  a  voice  was  constantly  saying  to  me, 
"repent."  I  had  not  walked  very  far  when  a  voice 
said,  "you  had  better  pray."  Of  course  it  was  the 
reasoning  of  the  spirit  within.  I  walked  down  the  em- 
bankment and  for  the  first  time  since  I  was  ten  years 
old,  I  called  on  God  for  redemption  through  the  blood 
of  Jesus.  I  became  so  intensely  earnest  that  I  did  not 
notice  the  section  hands  working  near  by.  I  arrived 
in  Chicago  about  dusk,  went  to  a  saloon  and  called  for 
a  drink — a  very  unusual  thing  for  me,  because  I  never 
went  into  a  saloon  before  alone.  I  had  often  taken  a 
drink  through  the  influence  of  company.  But  now, 
Satan,  finding  that  I  was  trying  to  extricate  myself 
from  sin,  and  from  the  wrath  of  a  sin  avenging  God, 
made  his  greatest  struggle  to  impede  my  progress. 
He  knew  that  the  wine  cup  was  a  sure  remedy  to 
carry  out  his  wishes.  I  never  was  a  lover  of  strong 
drink,  but  now  I  walked  up  to  the  bar  and  called  for 
gin,  as  one  of  the  regular  hard  drinkers  would  do. 
This  was  one  of  the  remedies  that  the  devil  furnish- 


FROM  LOG   CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


139 


ed  me  to  drive  away  trouble,  but  it  failed  in  this  case; 
for  I  took  two  drinks  and  it  took  no  effect  whatever 
upon  me,  for  my  soul  was  crying  for  deliverance.  I 
left  the  bar  room,  went  to  the  Union  depot  and  bought 
a  ticket  for  La  Porte,  Indiana,  but  I  got  oS  at  a  little 
station  before  1  got  to  La  Porte,  as  I  thought  of  a 
Baptist  preacher  I  knew  about  three  miles  from  there. 
It  was  midnight,  and  very  dark  when  I  got  off  the 
train.  I  inquired  of  the  depot  agent  the  way  to  this 
preacher's  home.  The  road  lay  through  a  dense, 
thick  woods,  and  after  wandering  until  about  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning  I  found  the  place. 

I  remained  at  his  home  about  three  weeks,  and 
WT)uld  go  each  day  to  the  woods  with  him  and  help 
him  pile  up  brush,  trim  trees,  etc.  I  imagined  all 
the  while  that  a  tree  w^as  going  to  fall  upon  me  and 
kill  me.  The  very  axe  the  preacher  was  chopping 
with  seemed  to  be  crying  "repent,''  and  I  became  so 
troubled  that  all  hunger  and  thirst  seemed  to  have 
left  me.  There  was  but  one  thought  uppermost  in  my 
mind,  and  that  Avas,  ''that  1  might  find  peace  with 
God." 

One  day  the  preacher  persuaded  me  to  stay  at  the 
house,  saying  I  was  too  weak  to  go  with  him  to  the 
woods.  He  knew  what  was  ailing  me,  I  could  tell 
that  in  his  morning  and  evening  devotion,  as  he  would 
offer  me  to  the  throne  of  grace  with  so  much  fervor. 
After  he  was  gone  I  took  the  shot  o^un,  saying  to  his 
wife  that  I  would  go  hunting.  I  had  gone  but  a  short 
distance  when  something  seemed  to  say  to  me,  "you 
might  as  well  take  that  gun  and  blow^  your  brains  oat," 


140  FKOM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 

Of  course  this  was  the  reasoning  of  the  devil,  making 
his  last  great  effort  to  decoy  me  and  destroy  my  soul. 
But  God  has  promised  in  His  word  that  He  will  be 
a  help  in  every  time  of  need,  and  this  great  truth  dem- 
onstrated itself  to  me  in  this  hour  of  peril,  for  when 
my  foot  had  almost  slipped,  and  my  soul  was  almost 
into  eternity — where  hope  is  a  stranger,  and  mercy 
could  never  reach  my  undone  condition,  the  great 
spirit  of  God  whispered  in  my  soul,  ''woe  be  unto 
your  damnation." 

I  hid  the  gum  beneath  a  brush  pile,  and  started  to  a 
man's  house  about  two  miles  away.  As  soon  as  I  went 
into  the  house  he  told  his  wife  to  hurry  dinner  and 
clean  up  the  dinner  flishes,  and  that  they  would  have  a 
word  of  prayer.  I  knelt  down  behind  a  big  drum 
stove  in  that  log  cabin,  with  my  mind  fully  made  up 
to  stay  there  until  God  converted  me;  and  in  less  time 
than  it  will  take  me  to  tell  it  I  was  happily  converted 
to  Christ. 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

It  seemed  as  though  I  had  been  wearing  a  heavy 
logging  chain  about  my  body,  and  in  a  moment  it  fell 
from  me.  It  looked  as  if  the  entire  end  of  the  house 
had  given  way,  and  I  could  see  with  that  eye  of  faith 
into  the  very  kingdom  of  God.  I  expect  one  day 
to  behold  Christ  in  His  glory,  yet  I  am  satisfied  that  I 
shall  never  see  Him  any  plainer,  and  He  will  never 
look  any  more  natural  than  He  did  that  day  in  my 
vision.  While  beholding  this  great  panorama,  Christ 
handed  me  a  little  testament,  and  pointed  towards  a 
large  body  of  woods,  saying,  "'preach  my  word  to 
these  people."  In  a  moment  every  tree  was  trans- 
formed into  a  vast  multitude  of  people,  and  I  stepped 
upon  a  stump,  and  began  to  preach  from  Romans, 
First  Chapter  and  sixteenth  verse  —  ''Now  I'm  not 
ashamed  of  the  gospel  of  Christ;  for  it  is  the  power  of 
God  unto  salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth:  to  the 
Jews  first,  and  also  to  the  Greek.'" 

I  need  not  say  to  any  soul  that  has  been  awakened 
by  the  light  of  the  gospel  that  we  had  a  wonderful 
downpouring  of  the  spirit  that  day,  and  of  all  the 
places  on  earth,  that  is  the  dearest  to  me. 

I  had  worn  the  shackles  of  a  literal  bondage  fur  fif- 
teen years,  but  in  due  season  God  emancipated  me 
from  being  the  goods  and  chattels  of  other  men,  so  I 
could  think  and  act  for  myself  as  a  man;  but  thank 


14:2 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT 


God,  in  1877,  he  liberated  my  soul  from  a  greater 
bondage,  for  human  bondage  enslaves  only  the  body, 
while  sin  enslaves  both  soul  and  body.  But  I  can  now 
praise  God  in  the  highest  and  sing  this  song,  composed 
and  sung  by  my  people  of  the  southland.  It  was  a 
song  of  notification,  and  alluded  to  the  underground 
railroad  and  their  preparation  for  escape  into  Canada. 

"Free  at  last,  fiee  at  last, 

Thank  Gocl  Almighty,  I'm  free  at  last. 

r    When  I  was  a  sinner  just  like  you. 

Thank  God  Almighty,  I'm  free  at  .last, 
I  prayed  and  mourned  till  I  came  through. 
Thank  God  Almighty,  I'm  free  at  last. 

2  I  never  bhall  forget  that  day, 

Thank  God  Almighty,  I'm  free  at  last; 
When  Jesus  washed  iny  sins  away. 

Thank  God  Almighty,  I'm  free  at  last. 

3  The  very  time  I  thought  I  was  lost, 

Thank  God  Almighty,  I'm  free  at  last; 
My  dungeon  shook  and  my  chains  fell  off. 
Thank  God  I'm  free  at  last. 

4  This  is  religion,  I  do  know. 

Thank  God  Almighty,  I'm  free  at  last  ; 
For  I  never  felt  such  a  love  before. 

Thank  God  Almighty,  I'm  free  at  last." 

The  first  night  after  I  was  converted,  1  lay  down 
before  the  fire  place — for  it  was  a  log  house,  with  a 
large,  old  fashioned  fire  place.  The  preacher  and  his 
family  were  eating  supper  in  the  same  room.  He 


FRON  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


US 


said  he  had  not  stopped  talking  to  me  over  five  min- 
utes when  he  noticed  me  clapping  my  hands  and  prais- 
ing  Grod.  But  in  that  few  minutes  I  had  found  my- 
self in  a  dense  wilderness;  I  could  hear  the  howling  and 
roarino;  of  some  kind  of  a  hideous  beast  that  would 
strike  terror  to  any  living  soul,  and  all  was  gloom 
and  darkness  around  me.  By  faith  I  looked  towards 
the  hill  of  Zion,  and,  like  Peter  of  old,  I  cried  out, 
^'Lord,  save  me  or  I  perish."  In  a  moment  the  dark- 
ness dispersed,  and  the  light,  in  all  its  splendor  and 
beauty,  shone  around  me.  The  same  man  who  hand- 
ed rne  a  testament  in  the  first  vision,  gave  me  the  same 
kind  of  a  book,  pointed  to  the  trees  and  said, 
"preach  My  word  to  these  people."  In  a  moment 
every  tree  and  bush  was  transformed  into  a  multitude 
of  people.  I  stepped  upon  the  stump  and  preached 
from  the  same  text  as  before.  This  was  Saturday 
night  and  I  was  sixteen  miles  from  La  Porte,  Indiana. 

Sunday  morning  the  preacher,  Rev.  Bailey,  and 
myself  started  for  La  Porte.  There  w^ere  no  trains  on 
Sunday  morning,  so  we  rode  half  the  distance  on  a 
hand- car  with  the  section  men,  aijd  walked  the  re- 
mainder of  the  way.  AYe  sat  on  a  fence  to  rest,  fac- 
ing a  beech  woods,  and  I  rested  my  head  in  my  hands 
and  closed  my  eyes.  I  had  a  repetition  ot:  the  same 
vision,  this  being  the  third  time  that  I  saw  the  same 
thing.  I  did  not  tell  this  part  of  my  conversion  for 
two  years  afterwards,  for  I  was  satisfied  that  it  was  a 
Divine  call  to  the  ministry  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  Ulti- 
mately, an  old  minister,  by  the  name  of  Andy  Fergu- 
son, a  member  of  the  A.   M.   E.   church,  who  was 


144:  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


traveling  the  La  Porte  circuit, — after  hearing  me  talk 
in  class  meeting  several  times,  asked  me  to  tell  him 
exactly  hoAv  I  was  converted.  After  two  years  1  told 
him  the  whole  story  of  my  conversion,  and  he  said, 
"son,  I  knew  God  had  called  you  to  the  ministry."  I 
was  wonderfully  moved  to  preach  the  gospel  but  felt 
that  I  could  not  afford  to  give  up  my  occupation  of 
cooking,  at  which  I  was  making  from  seventy-five  to  a 
hundred  dollars  per  month,  for  an  uncertainty.  I 
knew  how  hard  it  was  to  raise  money  for  the  ministers, 
and  like  Jonah,  I  went  for  nearly  five  years  before  I 
entered  the  field  of  labor  w^hich  God  would  have  me  do. 

1  made  several  vows  and  broke  them.  Finally  I 
vowed  if  I  could  accumulate  a  certain  amount  of  money 
I  w^ould  take  up  the  cross  and  bear  it  the  best  I  could. 
I  made  and  saved  the  amount  so  quickly  that  I  hardly 
knew  h()\v  it  came,  and  avenues  were  opened  to  my 
advantage  on  every  side. 

I  joined  the  Missionary  Baptist  church,  though  I 
was  of  Methodist  belief;  but  1  was  cooking  where 
there  was  no  other  church  save  the  Baptist.  I  joined 
them  and  gave  them  fifty  dollars  toward  the  building 
of  a  new  church,  with  the  understanding  that  if  ever  a 
Methodist  church  was  organized  there  they  were  to 
give  me  a  letter  of  recommendation, and  refund  tAventy- 
five  dollars  to  the  Methodist  church.  I  was  soon  made 
a  member  of  the  Chain  Lake  Association  of  Michigan. 

In  1884  a  Methodist  church  was  organized 
and  although  I  was  not  there,  the  Baptists  refunded 
the  twenty-five  dollars.  I  remained  in  the  Baptist 
churcii  until  1891,  when  I  joined  Simpson's  Chapel 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


145 


M.  E.  church,  Indianapolis,  Indiana.  I  was  admitted 
that  same  year  as  a  member  of  the  Indiana  District 
conference.  In  March,  *92,  at  Shelbyville,  Kentucky, 
Bishop  Foster  took  up  my  credentials  as  elder  in  the 
Baptist  church,  and  gave  me  a  sheep  skin  or  creden- 
tials, as  elder  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


146 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

In  1877  I  married  Miss  Alice  Goins,  of  Riverside, 
Michigan,  who  held  up  my  arms  in  the  ministry  for 
sixteen  years  while  I  tiied  to  preach  Christ.  There 
were  born  to  us  three  children,  Dora,  Marguerite  and 
William.  William  died  m  his  infancy.  The  grim 
monster,  consumption,  seized  upon  my  companion,  and 
for  five  years  she  bore  np  like  a  heroine,  many  times 
almost  compelling  me  to  go  to  church  and  preach, 
when  I  was  fearful  that  she  would  die  before  I  returned. 
But  she  would  say,  ''my  dear,  I'm  all  right,  you  ma}^ 
save  one  soul  tonight."  She  would  also  quote  that 
passage  of  scripture:  Luke  15th  Chapter  and  10th 
verse,  which  reads,  "Likewise  I  say  unto  you,  there  is 
joy  in  the  presence  of  the  angels  of  God  over  one  sin- 
ner that  repenteth.'' 

On  the  morning  of  April  14,  1892,  she  sat  in  the 
door  of  our  home  in  Grape  Creek,  Indiana,  looking  so 
constantly  and  distant  that  it  attracted  my  attention.  I 
asked  her  what  she  was  looking  at  so  steadily,  and  her 
answer  was  like  a  thunder  bolt  to  my  heart.  She 
said,  ''I  am  looking  at  the  beautiful  carpet  this  day 
for  the  last  time  on  earth,  for  1  shall  eat  my  supper  in 
heaven  tonight."  She  had  me  call  our  daughters. 
When  they  came  she  said,  "girls,  I  am  going  to  leave 
you  and  papa.  I  want  you  to  hold  up  your  papa's 
arms  as  I  have  done  for  the  last  sixteen  years.     I  want 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


147 


you  to  stay  with  him  until  he  nianies  again."  She 
then  said  to  me,  "William,  I  want  you  to  marry  as 
soon  as  you  can  find  some  settled  woman.  I  know  you 
could  easily  marry  some  young  girl,  for  you  don't 
look  very  old,  but  I  want  you  to  marry  a  settled  woman." 
She  continued  by  saying,  "William,  you  know  how  1 
used  to  set  the  light  in  the  window  for  you,  and  watch 
for  you  to  come  home  when  I  was  not  able  to  go  with 
you  to  your  preaching  place."  I  said,  "yes,  Alice." 
"Well,"  said  she,  "I  will  set  the  lamp  in  the  window 
of  heaven,  and  will  wait  and  watch  for  you  until  you 
come."  "Dora,  I  don't  want  you  to  do  anything  that 
will  hinder  your  father  in  the  ministry,  and  pray  for 
him  daily  that  God  may  sustain  him  in  his  labor;  be  a 
good  girl  and  meet  mamma  in  heaven. " 

I  called  in  my  family  physician;  he  was  so  wonder- 
fully touched  with  the  spiritual  force  and  power  with 
which  she  talked  that  he  could  scarcely  contain  him- 
self. He  wrote  upon  the  back  of  a  book,  saying: 
"Keverend,  your  wife  can  live  but  a  very  short  time," 
and  bade  me  good  bye. 

The  incident  relative  to  the  lamp  occurred  in  Lexing- 
ton, Kentucky,  while  I  was  holding  a  series  of  revival 
meetings.  She  was  so  low  that  vs^e  did  not  like  to 
leave  her  alone  while  we  were  at  church,  but  she  in- 
sisted on  the  lamp  being  placed  on  a  table  near  the 
bed,  so  she  could  read,  and  said  that  just  at  9:30  she 
would  put  it  in  the  window.  We  could  see  the  light 
when  we  reached  the  top  of  a  hill,  and  she  said,  "if 
you  do  not  see  the  light  in  the  window  when  you  get  to 
the  top  of  the  hill  you  will  know  that  I  have  passed 


148 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


over  the  river."  I  recall  different  times  when  I 
thought  I  had  reached  the  spot  where  I  should  see  it, 
and  not  seeing  it  fell  in  despair,  thinking  she  had  gone, 
but  others  ran  ahead  and  told  me  that  the  light  was  in 
the  window. 

None  bat  they  who  have  passed  through  the  trying 
ordeal  of  the  loss  of  a  wife  or  husband,  can  sym- 
pathize with  one  in  this  dark  and  trying  hour. 

At  half  past  eight  that  night  members  and  friends 
tilled  my  home;  at  eight  forty -five  she  began  to  sing  a 
song  which  she  used  to  S'ing  while  in  health,  I  know 
my  name  is  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life,  I  know 
my  name  is  written  in  heaven."  A  few  minutes  before 
nine  she  took  my  hand  and  said,  ''husband,  have  I 
been  a  good  wife?"  With  the  very  fountains  of  my 
heart  running  over  with  grief  1  could  say  nothing  else 
but  ''yes,  a  thousand  times,  yes." 

Though  it  was  my  daily  study  to  make  her  happy 
yet  I  could  never  be  able  to  pay  the  debt  of  gratitude 
I  owe  her.  I  feel  that  all  that  1  am  I  owe  to  her  for  her 
patience  and  kindness  towards  me;  for  when  1  would 
despair,  and  the  gloom  of  disappointment  would  gather 
around  Qie,  she  would  put  her  arms  around  my  neck, 
kiss  me,  and  say,  "papa,  let's  pray,"  and  in  that 
plaintive,  simple  way  she  wxjuld  take  me  and  my 
troubles  to  God.  It  was  her  constant  study  to  see  and 
know  that  I  was  happy. 

Five  minutes  past  nine  the  chariot  swung  low,  and  a 
loving  wife  and  mother  was  gone,  as  we  thought.  I 
was  on  my  knees  by  the  bed,  with  her  head  resting  on 
my  arm;    in  my  excitement  I  raised  her  up,  and  she 


FEOM  LOG  CABIX  TO  THE  TULPiT. 


14:9 


opened  her  eyes,  sang  another  verse  of  the  same  song, 
asked  the  church  to  take  care  of  her  husband  and 
daughters,  bade  us  all  ofood  bye.  and  in  a  moment  her 
spirit  had  moved  out  of  the  old  tenement  house  of  clay, 
and  she 

"Is  ROW  drinking  at  the  fountain, 

Where  she  always  will  abide: 
For  she  has  tasted  life's  pure  water 

And  her  soul  is  satisfied." 

I  can  never  describe  that  night  of  sorrow,  but  thank 
God  the  consolation  which  she  left  in  her  dying  testi- 
mony, and  her  life  for  sixteen  years,  sustained  me 
through  every  cnnflijt.  and  has  been  a  great  source  of 
joy  since  her  departure.  Often  since  that  night,  when 
the  clouds  would  hang  low  and  heavy  over  me.  in  my 
imao'ination  I  could  hear  her  sav,     be  of  o-ood  cheer.*' 


150 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

After  the  funeral  services  of  my  wife  I  returned  to 
my  lonely  home  and  tried  to  make  some  plans  for  the 
future.  Left  with  two  girls,  one  a  small  child,  I  was 
forced  to  take  almost  a  new  start  in  life.  Keeping  the 
younger  girl,  Marguerite,  in  school,  my  daughter 
Dora  and  I  Avent  out  to  battle  with  life  and  for  the 
Kingdom  of  God.  Many  trying  incidents  and  per- 
plexities came  to  me.  but  the  tender,  loving  voice  that 
had  encouraged  me  in  days  gone  by  was  hushed  in 
death,  and  I  must  needs  maet  them  almost  alone. 

Finally  my  plans  were  laid  for  five  years  of  Evange- 
listic service.  We  beo^an  our  work  in  Michis^an,  and 
the  result  of  our  first  year's  labor  was  over  eighteen 
hundred  souls  brought  to  Christ.  The  next  year  I 
purchased  a  tabernacle,  ^vith  a  seating  capacity  of  over 
fifteen  hundred.  I  hired  four  good  singers,  and  that 
was  indeed  a  wonderful  year.  My  record  showed  over 
two  thousand  saved.  We  then  went  to  Indiana,  and 
for  three  consecutive  years  continued  in  this  line  of 
work,  after  which  I  accepted  the  pastorate  of  a  circuit  at 
Greenfield  and  Martinsville,  Indiana,  We  built  a  splen- 
did church  at  Martinsville.  From  here  we  went  to 
Laurenceville,  Illinois  where  our  success  w^as  ivonderf  ul. 

In  this  town  a  saloon  keeper  was  happily  con- 
verted one  night.  He  invited  the  congregation  and  my- 
self to  his  saloon  at  nine  o'clock  the  next  morning  for 
a  feast.  Curiosity  brought  a  large  crowd  at  the  ap- 
pointed hour.  When  we  had  gathered,  the  saloon- 
keeper, with  two  other  men,  rolled  out  three  barrels 


FROM  LOG  CABIX  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


151 


of  whiskey,  several  kegs  and  cases  of  beer  and  other 
intoxicants,  and  broke  them  open.  AYhiskey  and  beer 
ran  like  water  in  the  streets,  and  the  town  was  intoxi- 
cated with  the  fnmes.  We  praised  the  Lord  for  this 
external  instead  of  internal  application. 

After  two  years  in  this  town  I  returned  to  Evange- 
listic work,  and  have  continued  in  it  until  the  present 
time.  G-reat  meetings  have  been  held  in  Ohio.  Illinois 
and  Wisconsin.  The  greatest  meeting  in  Illinois  was 
about  three  years  ago.  In  eight  weeks  we  saw  nine 
hundred  people  converted  and  added  to  the  different 
churches.  In  Waymond  Chapel,  Chicago,  we  held  an 
all  night  meeting,  at  which  there  were  seventy  conver- 
sions. The  church  quickened  and  spiritualized,  for 
which  I  give  God  the  glory. 

My  daughter  Dora  helped  me  in  my  work  until  1897, 
when  she  married  and  went  to  live  in  San  Francisco, 
California.  Three  years  later  she  was  taken  suddenly 
ill.  After  a  partial  recovery  her  husband  was  bring- 
ing her  to  Louisville,  Kentucky,  to  spend  the  summer 
with  us.  Upon  reaching  Chicago  she  was  taken  worse 
and  was  hurried  to  a  hospital.  I  received  a  letter  one 
mornino'.  askino;  me  to  meet  her  in  Chicao^o.  The 
same  afternoon  a  telegram  came  from  her  husband, 
telling:  me  to  come  at  once  if  I  would  see  her  alive.  I 
started  on  the  first  train.  I  shall  never  forget  that 
race  with  death.  I  reached  Chicago  the  next  morning, 
but  too  late;  her  spirit  had  taken  its  flight.  Her  dying 
words  were,  that  she  had  gone  to  join  mother,  and  for 
me  to  meet  her  in  glory.  With  God's  help  I  expect 
to  do  so. 


152 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


CHAPTER  XVIIl. 

THE  child's  inquiry. 

As  much  as  unfeeling  men  talk  and  preach  about 
^ 'Negro  insensibility,  '  and  as  much  as  slavery  dotes 
upon  her  mysterious  power  of  blotting  out  and  anni- 
hilating the  principles  of  humanity,  yet  it  is  plainly 
seen  that  God  has  planted  in  the  bosom  of  the  black 
man  a  quality  of  His  own  nature,  that  the  ruthless 
hand  of  time  and  the  strong  arm  of  oppression  has  not 
extinguished. 

To  make  my  point  clearer  I  will  explain  the 
usual  form  of  marriage  between  house  slaves.  When 
a  couple  wished  to  marry,  if  the  marriage  was  agree- 
able to  the  owners,  a  wedding  feast  was  spread  by 
them,  the  colored  people  furnishing  coon,  possum  and 
sweet  potatoes.  When  everything  was  ready  the  old 
negro  preacher,  (who  by  the  way  could  not  read  a 
word)  went  through  a  certain  form  prescribed  by  the  1 
master.  If  the  couple  marrying  was  young,  the  young 
mistresses  held  a  broom  stick  knee  high.  If  the  bride 
and  groom  were  more  advanced  in  years,  older  ladies 
held  it.  At  the  end  of  the  ceremony  the  colored 
preacher  said  to  the  bride  and  groom,  ''now,  w^hen 
you  jump  the  broom  stick  I  announce  you  man  and 
wife."  This  is  how  the  expression  you  are  all  so 
familiar  with  originated. 


FE03I  LOG  CABIX  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


153 


I  will  relate  an  incident  ^Yhich  came  under  mv  ob- 
servation, which  will  lietter  illustrate  this  marriaofe 
farce.  A  loving  couple,  united  in  the  u>ual  wav.  had 
lived  in  harmony  for  live  years  and  eight  months,  dur- 
ing which  time  not  a  cloud  of  discord  had  come  be- 
tween them:  nothing  had  marred  their  peace  but  the 
thought  that  they  mu-t  -pend  their  lives  in  the  midst 
of  groaning  and  cracking  of  whips,  of  which  thev 
themselves  must  share  a  common  fate.  To  muke  the 
nupcial  ties  stronger  they  had  been  blessed,  as  they 
thought,  with  a  little  girl,  whose  d:irk  eves  and  wav- 
ing hair  sati.-licd  Henry  that  the  child  was  his.  One 
pleasant  evening  a  South  Carolinian  \va>  seen  talking 
with  the  master  of  that  happy  p:dr.  and  coniino-  Ijefore 
the  door  they  both  came  to  a  lull  halt,  while  the 
stranger  gazed  full  in  the  faces  of  the  three,  and  after 
a  few  moments,  passed  in  profound  >ilcnce,  he  said  to 
the  master:  "'I'll  give  it."  As  they  turned  away 
from  the  door,  the  silence  was  i)roken  hy  r\  low  whis- 
per from  the  lips  of  little  Mary,  saving,  --one  of  us  is 
sold,  papa.'*  Like  the  disci])les.  they  each  asked,  '-is  it 
IT'  l>Iorning  found  thejn  undisturbed,  and  Alary  hur- 
ried the  work  over,  and  u>uab  left  the  cahan  for  the 
cotton  field,  repeating  in  lier  mind,  'ds  it  li"  So 
excited  was  her  mind  that  she  s])ent  another  s!eeples=v 
night,  and  so  conscious  u-is  she  that  she  was  the  victim 
[from  reading  in  the  eye  of  the  Carolinian  his  predomi-^ 
nating  passioDs",  that  when  she  left  the  hou>e  she  kiss- 
ed her  child  and  pressed  it  against  her  bosom  as  though 
she  would  crush  it  to  death.  Reluctantly  she  closed 
the  door  and  departed,  to  return  no  more  forever.  The 


154  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 

husband's  ears  were  made  sad  at  noon,  when  a  slave 
boy  said  to  him,  as  he  called  him  to  the  gate,  ''your 
wife  is  sold  to  South  Carolina!  I  saw  her  chained  in 
the  gang  and  the  last  words  I  heard  her  say,  were,  '^O! 
that  I  had  never  seen  a  husband!  O!  that  I  had  hug- 
ged my  child  to  death  this  morning."  But  the  child's 
inquiry  and  the  father's  answer  will  show  whether  hu- 
manity was  extinct  in  them: 


FR03I  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


155 


THE  INFANT'S  DREAM. 

CHILD. 

"O,  where  has  mother  gone,  papa? 

What  makes  yoa  look  so  sad? 

Why  sit  you  here  alone,  papa? 

Has  anyone  made  you  mad? 

O,  tell  me,  dear  papa, 

Has  master  punished  you  again? 

Shall  I  go  bring  the  salt,  papa. 

To  rub  your  back  and  cure  the  pain? 

FATHER. 

Go  away  my  child,  you  are  too  bad: 
You  notice  things  too  soon; 
Did  you  not  see  that  I  was  sad, 
When  I  came  home  at  noon? 
Go  to  the  gate  and  call  mamma, 
And  see  if  she's  in  sight. 
The  hour  is  late,  I  fear  your  ma 
Will  not  be  home  tonight. 

CHILD. 

0  no,  papa,  I  am  a'raid 
To  go  to  the  gate  alone; 

1  fear  there's  men  in  the  high^grass  laid, 
To  catch  little  Mary  Jones. 


156  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 

Bat  what  makes  mother  stay  so  loDg? 

'Tis  getting  very  late. 

Papa,  go  bring  my  mother  home, 

And  I'll  stay  at  the  gate. 

When  mother  left  me  early  this  morn, 

She  kissed  me  and  she  wept; 

I  saw  the  tears  come  trickling  down 

Upon  the  pillow  where  I  slept. 

She  pressed  me  to  her  bosom,  hard, 

As  though  it  was  the  last  embrace. 

She  sobbed,  but  did  not  say  a  word, 

Nor  would  she  let  me  see  her  face. 

FATHER. 

Pull  off  your  shoes,  my  dearest  child. 
And  say  your  evening  prayer; 
And  go  to  bed  and  after  a  while, 
Perhaps  your  mother  will  be  there. 
Go  hush  those  little  eyes  to  sleep. 
And  dream  some  pretty  dream  tonight, 
Perhaps  in  the  morning  when  you  w^ake 
You'll  find  all  things  all  right. 

CHILD. 

O!  tell  me,  papa,  don't  drive  me  away, 
'Tis  dark,  the  stars  are  thick  and  bright. 
Is  mother  sold,  O,  tell  me,  I  pray, 
I  fear  she'll  not  be  home  tonight; 
O  come  papa,  come  go  with  me, 
Perhaps  we'll  meet  her  in  the  lane; 
And  then  she'll  sing  a  song  to  me, 
And  take  me  in  her  arms  again. 


FROM  LOG   CABIN  TO  THE  PlfLPIT. 


157 


FATHER. 

Come  here  my  daughter,  come  to  me, 
1  find  that  I  must  tell  you  true. 
Come  now,  and  sit  upon  my  knee-- 
The  dismal  tale  TU  tell  to  you. 
Your  mother's  sold;  she's  sold,  my  dear, 
Her  face  3^ou'll  see  no  more. 
Her  cheering  voice  no  more  you'll  hear 
On  this  side  of  Canaan's  peaceful  shore.' 


158 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

I  have  gone  by  the  name  of  "Co wens"  in  this  his- 
tory, and  the  reader  may  be  curious  to  know  how  1 
came  by  the  name  of  "Robinson"  as  I  have  not  men- 
tioned any  of  my  masters  by  that  name. 

Two  of  my  masters  were  named  Co  wens,  one  was 
Robert  E.  Lee,  commander-in-nhief  of  the  confederate 
army,  another  was  Scott,  and  the  fifth  was  Hadley. 

I  have  told  you  that  my  father  was  prince  of  a 
tribe  in  South  Africa  known  as  the  Madagascar  tribe. 
They  heard  the  ficticious  story  of  Robinson  Cruso.  In 
the  African  dialect  the  definition  w^as  "Rob-o-bus-sho/' 
meaning  Robinson  Cruso. 

An  aunt,  who  spent  sixteen  years  in  South  Africa  as 
a  missionary,  found  some  of  father's  relatives,  and  one 
of  his  brothers,  supposed  to  be  over  ninety  years  old, 
gave  her  a  great  deal  of  information  concerning  our 
family  history. 

After  a  diligent  search  of  over  fourteen  years  for 
the  difi'erent  members  of  our  family,  nine  children 
met  with  mother  and  held  what  today  would  be  known 
as  a  family  reunion,  but  then  we  called  it  a  three  days' 
feast  in  the  wilderness.  Each  of  us  had  a  difi'erent 
name.  Our  missionary  aunt  was  with  us,  and  after 
her  explanation  to  us  of  how  father  was  brought  away 
in  slavery  we  decided  to  establish  a  family  name  and 
record.    After  carefully  talking  it  over,  a  unanimous 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT.  159 

vote  was  taken  to  discard  all  other  names  and  here- 
of ter  answer  to  our  father's  name,  which  meant  Robin- 
son. I  am  prouder  of  my  father's  heathen  name  than 
of  all  the  professed  christian  names  that  I  was  com- 
pelled to  acknowledge  while  a  slave.  I  pray  God  that 
none  of  us  who  bear  the  name  of  our  father  will  ev6r 
bring  dishonor  to  it,  and  may  God  help  my  daughter 
and  me  to  carry  the  gospel  to  his  native  land. 
Will  you  help  us  by  purchasing  our  book? 

Yours  for  Christ  and  Africa. 

W.  H.  ROBINSON. 


160 


FROM  LOG   CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


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FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


161 


162 


FROM   LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


KEEPING  THE  CHARGE  OF  THE  LORD. 

A  charge  to  keep  I  have, 

A  God  to  glorify  ; 
A  never  dying  soul  to  save, 

And  fit  it  for  the  sky  ; 

To  serve  the  present  age, 

My  calhng  to  fulfill; 
O  rnay  it  all  my  powers  engage, 

To  do  niy  Master's  will! 

Arm  me  with  jealous  care, 
As  in  Th\  s'ght  to  live; 

And  O.  Thy  servant,  Eord,  prepare, 
A  strict  account  to  give! 

Help  me  to  watch  and  pray. 

And  on  Thyself  rdy, 
Assiir'd  if  I  my  trust  betray, 

I  shall  for  ever  die. 


FRON  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


163 


SERMON  ON  "THE  EXALTATION  OF  CHRIST." 
Text.  Philippians,  2n6,  9,  10,  11. 

"Wherefore  God  also  hath  highly  exalted  Him,  and  given 
Him  a  name  which  is  above  every  name,  that  at  the  name  of 
Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of  things  in  heaven  and  things 
in  earth,  and  things  under  the  earth  and  that  every  tongue 
should  contess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord  to  the  Glory 
of  God  the  Father." 

The  text  represents  C'hrist  as  the  most  exalted  Being  in 
existence.  The  cause  which  moved  the  pen  of  inspiration  to 
this  divine  utterance  grew  out  of  a  consideration  of  the  de- 
graded and  relapsed  condition  of  the  church  at  Phihppi,  a 
famous  city  of  the  province  of  Macedonia,  situated  on  the 
great  highway  between  Thrace  and  Anapolis. 

It  was  founded  possibly  by  the  descendants  of  Jashet, . 
through  the  line  of  Gomer.  Philip,  the  king  of  the  province, 
remodeled  it  and  gave  it  its  present  name,  after  which  it  be- 
came the  metropoHs  of  Western  Asia.  It  was  also  noted  for 
the  products  of  gold,  silver,  etc  ,  in  whose  mines  men  were 
engaged  in  great  numbers,  thousands  of  feet  beneath  the  sur- 
face. This  lucrative  traffic  brought  to  Philippi  strangers  from 
every  nation,  hence  the  city  became  the  central  point  of 
scholastic  lore  and  the  strong  hold  of  Grecian  mythology. 
Paul  had  visited  this  empire  of  Paganism,  A.  D.  52, 
organized  the  church,  and  preached  Christ  unto  them,  etc. 

Date  and  occasion  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Philippians,  A.  D., 
62.  Paul  found  himself  a  prisoner  at  Rome,  where  he  had 
been  sent  from  Caesasea  for  trial  in  the  Roman  court.  The 


164 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


church  at  PhUippi  on  learning  of  his  imprisonment  raised  a 
collection  for  him  and  sent  it  by  Epaphrodilus,  their  minister, 
who  on  his  arrival  at  Rome  called  at  the  jail,  where  he  found 
the  object  of  his  mission  with  a  chain  around  his  waist  and 
ankle,  and  hard  at  work  on  a  tent,  for  he  was  a  tent  maker  by 
trade.  The  preacher  from  Philippi  informed  Paul  of  the  re- 
lapsed and  degenerated  condition  of  his  church  in  the  polluted 
city  of  Philippians.  Object  of  the  epistle  was,  first  to  en- 
courage and  confirm  the  faith  of  the  church  in  Christ  Jesus. 
Second,  to  caution  it  against  idolatry  and  heathen  mythology. 
Third,  he  warns  them  to  shun  Judaizing  teachers,  and  fourth, 
he  sets  forth  the  Divinity  of  Christ  and  the  exalted  position 
of  His  dual  nature,  the  last  of  which  is  the  theme  of  our  dis- 
course,   "The  Exaltation  of  the  Humanity  of  Christ." 

May  we  not  pause  a  moment,  and  with  unshod  feet  ap- 
proach the  holy  ground  of  this  sacred  mystery,  and  inquire 
into  this  sublime  and  peerless  act  of  exaltation  of  humanity? 
On  the  last  day  of  creation  man  was  left  at  the  foot  of 
the  ladder  of  the  intelligent  being,  just  a  little  lower 
than  the  angels,  but  the  language  of  the  text  through 
the  hyposative  anion  clothes  him  with  divinity,  lifts  him  far 
above  all  creatures,  and  makes  him  a  life  member  of  the 
triune  God  Head,  hence  the  union  of  the  divine,  and  human 
nature  stands  without  a  parallel  in  the  annals  of  events.  For 
this  mysterious  act  the  invisible  curtains  of  divinity  were 
drawn  back,  and  the  human  soul  thrown  upon  the  dissecting 
table  of  infinite  wisdom.  The  infinity  of  days  steps  behind 
the  screen  of  his  incomprehensibleness,  stoops  and  absolves 
himself  into  the  spiritual  and  carnal  elements  of  the  finite, 
passes  under  the  fierce  rod  of  chastisement,  enters 
Joseph's  tomb,  binds  the  king  of  terrors  to  his 
chariot  wheel  and  leads  to  captivity  the  captive,  and  gives 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


165 


gifts  unto  men  by  removing  Eden  to  Paradise,  and  the  re- 
newal of  the  moral  image  of  God  in  the  soul  by  the  indwell- 
ing of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Hosanna  to  our  conquering  King. 

All  hail  Incarnate  Love, 
Ten  thousand  songs  and  glories  wait 

To  crown  Thy  head  above. 
Thy  victories  and  thy  deathless  flame 

Through  all  the  world  shall  run, 
And  everlasting  ages  sing 

The  triumphs  Thou  hast  won. 

For  through  the  incarnation  man  and  (zod  are  brought  face 
to  face;  by  the  death  and  resurrection  they  are  made  friends,, 
and  man  is  placed  in  a  position  where  he  can  leap  from  the 
eventful  stage  of  immortality  to  the  drama  of  the  immortal, 
where  he  can  stand  in  the  blazing  hght  of  ihe  throne  and  see 
Jesus,  the  second  Adam,  clothed  in  divine  majesty  and  ruling 
the  world .  Wherefore  God  also  hath  highly  exalted  him, 
and  given  him  a  name  which  is  above  every  name,  that  at  the 
name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of  things  in  heaven, 
and  things  in  earth  and  things  under  the  eaith,  and  that  every 
tongue  should  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord  to  the  glory 
of  God  the  Father.  Things  in  heaven.  Where  is  heaven, 
and  what  are  the  things  referred  to  in  the  text?  The  poet 
answers  the  first  in  the  following  lines: 

"There  is  a  land  far  away  amid  the  star^ 

Where  they  know  not  the  sorrow  of  time, 
Where  the  pure  waters  wander  through  valleys  of 
gold, 

And  hfe  is  a  treasure  sublime. 


166 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


Our  gaze  cannot  soar  to  that  beautiful  land 
But  our  visions  have  told  of  its  bliss, 

And  our  souls  by  the  gates  of  its  garden  are 
fanned, 

When  we  faint  in  the  desert  of  this." 

The  didactive  import  of  the  above  delineation  directs  the 
eyes  of  the  soul  at  once  to  the  center  of  the  universe,  the 
sensorium  of  the  Godhead,  the  home  of  the  angels;  a  city 
with  blazing  walls,  and  towering  spires,  shining  domes  and 
pearly  gates,  and  whose  streets  are  paved  with  gold,  upon 
which  the  feet  of  the  redeemed  walk,  and  where  cherubic 
legions  dance  upon  a  sea  of  glass  all  mingled  with  fire,  and 
phalanx  of  seraphim  bask  in  the  golden  sunlight  of  the  city 
ot  God.  These  are  the  things  which  are  in  heaven,  and  they 
have  been  described  and  classified  by  Dr.  Bright,  as  follows : 
First,  the  seraphim,  whose  duty  it  is  to  give  glory  to  God  as 
creator  of  all  things,  acknowledging  his  triune  character  by 
crying,  Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  of  hosts,  the  whole 
earth  is  full  of  Thy  glory.  Second,  the  cherubim.  They  form 
the  highest  order  of  intelligent  creatures,  stand  in  an  especial 
nearness  to  God,  and  are  engaged  in  the  loftiest  adoration 
and  are  associated  with  the  mercy  seat.  Third :  This  is  a 
superior  order  of  angels,  who,  under  the  command  of  Gabriel, 
stand  as  connecting  links  between  God,  as  creator,  and  Jesus 
Christ  as  mediator,  between  God  and  man.  Fourth :  The 
fourth  is  under  Michael,  the  angel  liaison  of  heavens.  War- 
riors who  fought  the  dragon  and  threw  him  over  the  battle- 
ment of  heaven,  down  nine  times  the  space  that  measures 
day  and  night  to  mortal  men.  The  fifth  order  is  under  the 
supervision  of  Uriel.  They  compose  the  fire  department, 
and  execute  vengeance  upon  the  earth  by  hurling  forth  sheeted 


FEOM  LOG   CABIX  TO   THE  PULPIT. 


167 


liames  of  red  tongued  lightning  and  hot  thunder  bolts,  and 
belching  out  liquid  and  5ul[jhurious  tiame?  Irora  burning 
craters.  The  sixth  order  is  commanded  by  the  angel 
Raphael.  They  are  the  health  otlicers  of  the  world.  The 
seventh  and  last  is  composed  of  the  glorified  saints  of  all 
ages.  The  general  assembly  and  church  of  the  first  born, 
which  are  written  in  heaven,  and  the  spirits  of  just  men  made 
perfect.  All  the  above  are  die  things  vshich  are  in  heaven, 
and  they  are  ihe  ones  who  are  commanded  in  the  text 
to  bow  at  the  name  of  Jesus,  for  we  read  in  the  gospel  of 
peace,  that  when  the  incarnate  feet  of  the  immaculate  touched 
the  Bethlehemic  manger  chanting  legates  from  glory 
came  to  proclaim  the  Savior's  name,  the  sound  was  heard 
upon  the  plane  that  God  and  man  were  reconciled 
again.  [Things  inearth.]  -Tn  surveying  the  great  system 
of  nature  with  a  christian  and  philosophic  eye,  it  may  be  con- 
sidered from  a  different  point  of  view."  savs  the  learned  Dr. 
Dick.  Hence,  in  explaining  this  part  of  the  text,  we  shall 
start  from  a  scientific  point  by  noticing,  first,  the  surface  of 
the  earth,  second,  the  atmosphere.  The  student  of  science  is 
confronted  upon  the  threshold  of  his  observation  with  count- 
less phenomena,  all  dissimilar  one  from  another,  yet  controlled 
by  law  of  the  survival  of  the  fittest.  The  surface  of  the 
earth  contains  a  multiphcity  of  objects  all  dissimlar  in  shape, 
size,  color,  motion  and  substance  :  craggy  cliffs  and  towering 
mountains,  verdant  hills  arrayed  with  clumps  ol  trees  and  beds 
of  liowers,  broad  and  spacious  plains,  dotted  with  cities, 
towns  and  hamlets,  waving  fields  of  grain,  blooming  vineyard, 
meandering  rivulets,  flowing  streams,  roaring  cataracts  and 
belching  volcanoes,  bubbling  springs,  stagnated  ponds,  spac- 
ious lakes  and  rolling  rivers.  But  let  me  lengthen  the  horo- 
scope .  of  imagination  a  little.    Go  see  the  outlines  of  a  pic- 


168 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


ture  whose  phenomenal  background  is  far  more  sublime  thart 
the  one  whose  negative  lingers  in  the  mental  camera  of  the 
vision.  See  the  erect  form  of  him  who  is  made  in  the  image 
of  his  creator,  and  around  him  are  gathered  the  rational  and 
intelligent  children  of  his  flesh  and  blood,  beneath  whose 
shadow  fitty  thousand  animal  species  are  leaping  and  danc- 
ing. They  are  all  sizes,  from  the  mite  to  the  elephant,  from 
the  creatures  of  which  ,  if  ten  thousand  of  them  were  united 
they  would  not  form  an  object  one  half  the  size  of  a  grain  of 
sand;  yet  all  of  these  animals  have  organs,  joints,  limbs,  feet, 
claws,  hoofs,  wings,  fins;  some  flying,  some  crawling,  some 
rolling,  some  walking  on  two  feet,  some  on  four,  some  on 
eight  and  some  on  eight  thousand.  Some  with  two  eyes, 
some  with  ten  thousand.  These  are  some  of  the  things  in 
the  earth.  Now  the  chief.  Hence,  after  he  fell  the  whole 
creation  groaned  and  travailed  in  pain  together,  until  Cal- 
vary's blee.ding  conqueror  burst  the  seals  of  Joseph's  new 
tomb  and  sent  up  a  shout  of  victory  from  the  church  militant 
to  the  church  triumphant. 

"Look,  ye  saints,  the  sight  is  glorious. 

See  the  man  of  sorrow  now, 
From  the  fight  returns  victorious, 

Every  knee  to  Him  shall  bow. 
Hark  !    those  loud  triumphant  chords ! 

Jesus  takes  the  highest  station, 
O  what  joy  the  sight  affords." 

The  atmosphere  is  teeming  with  rational  spirits,  sent  from^ 
God  to  look  after  the  souls  of  men.  The  air  we  breathe 
swarms  with  legions  of  invisible  insects,  every  drop  of  water 
abounds  with  miUions  of  living  beings.    The  blood  is  a  living 


FKOM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


169 


Stream  of  insects,  crawling  and  flowing  through  the  trunk  of 
the  animal  kingdom,  and  for  aught  we  know  these  insects  are 
the  underlying  principles  of  our  intelligence,  for  they  work 
on  and  on  from  birth  until  death,  as  though  they  were  con- 
scious of  what  they  w^ere  doing.  Hence,  these  and  the 
spirits  in  the  air,  are  called  upon  to  bow  at  the  name  of  Jesus, 


170 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

SUBJECT,  PRAYER— Luke  i8:— i. 

Sermon  delivered  in  Allen  Chapel,  Kansas  City,  Missouri, 
July  rsth,  1906,  by  Rev.  W.  H.  Robinson. 

"And  he  spake  a  i3arable  unto  them  to  this  end,  that  men 
ought  always  to  pray,  and  not  to  faint.  Who  can  pray  so 
that  God  will  hear?"  First  Ps.,  66:  — 18.  "If  I  regard  iniquity 
in  my  heart  the  Lord  will  not  hear  me."  it  means  to  look 
at  "with  favor,"  to  "respect,"  "approve,"  "regard."  God  will 
not  hear  the  man  who  in  his  heart  looks  upon  sin  with  any 
favor  or  allowance.  God  looks  at  sin  with  abhorence .  He 
is  of  purer  eyes  than  to  behold  evil,  and.  cannot  look  on 
iniquity,  etc.  We  must  have  the  same  attitude  toward  sin 
that  He  has  to  be  heard  of  Him.  If  we  regard  sin  Pie  will 
not  regard  us  when  we  pray,  Plerein  lies  the  very  simple 
explanation  why  many  of  us  pray  and  are  not  heard.  Sec- 
ond Prov.  28-29,  "He  that  turneth  away  his  ear  from  hear- 
ing the  law,  even  his  prayer  shall  be  abomination."  He  can- 
not pray  so  that  God  will  hear.  If  we  turn  our  ears  away 
from  what  God  says  to  us  in  His  law,  He  will  turn  His  ears 
away  from  what  we  say  to  Him  in  our  prayers.  We  have  an 
illustration  of  this  in  Zich.  7-1 1-13.  "But  they  refused  to 
hearken  and  pulled  away  the  shoulder,  and  stopped  their 
ears  that  they,  should  not  hear.  Yea,  they  made  their  hearts  as 
an  adamant  stone  lest  they  should  hear  the  law  and  the  words 
which  the  Lord  of  Hosts  hath  sent." 


FROM  LOG   CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT,  171 


In  His  spirit  by  the  former  prophets,  therefore  came  a  great 
wrath  from  the  Lord  of  Hosts.  Then  it  came  to  pass  as  He 
cried  and  they  would  not  hear,  so  they  cried  and  I  would  not 
hear,  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts.  Many  are  saying:  "The 
promises  of  God  are  not  true,  God  does  not  hear  my  prayer." 
Has  God  ever  promised  to  hear  your  prayer?  God  plainly 
described  the  class  whose  prayers  He  hears.  Do  you  belong 
to  that  class?  Are  you  listening  to  His  words?  If  not  He 
has  distinctly  said  He  will  not  listen  to  your  prayers.  And 
in  not  listening  to  you  He  is  simply  keeping  His  word.  Let 
us  notice  (Prov.  i  -.24-25-28,  R.  V.)  "Because  I  have  called 
and  you  have  refused!  I  have  stretched  out  my  hand  and 
no  man  regarded.  But  ye  have  set  at  naught  all  my  counsel 
and  would  none  of  my  reproof.  Then  shall  they  call  upon 
me,  but  I  will  not  answer;  they  shall  seek  me  diligently  but 
they  shall  not  find  me."  Third,  Prov.  21-13.  "Whoso  stop- 
peth  his  ears  at  the  cry  of  the  poor,  he  also  shall  cry  but 
shall  not  be  heard."  Third  proposition  :  "Whosoever  stop- 
peth  his  ears  at  the  cry  of  the  poor  cannot  pray  so  God  will 
hear.  If  we  will  not  listen  to  the  poor  when  they  cry  unto  us 
in  their  need,  the  Lord  will  ngt  hearken  unto  us.  The 
world's  maxim  is,  "the  Lord  helps  those  who  help  themselves." 
Luke  18-9-10-1 1- 12.  And  he  spake  this  parable  unto  certain 
ones  which  trusted  in  themselves  that  they  were  righteous 
and  despised  others.  Two  men  went  up  into  the  temple  to 
pray;  the  one  a  Pharisee,  and  the  other  a  Publican.  I'he 
Pharisee  stood  and  prayed  thus  with  himself;  "God  I  thank 
thee  that  I  am  not  as  other  men  are;  extortioners,  unjust, 
adulterers,  or  even  as  this  Publican.  I  fast  twice  in  the 
week,  I  give  of  all  that  I  possess. " 

The  truth  is,  the  Lord  helps  those  who  help  others. 
Fourth,  Luke  1 8-1 3-14.    "And  the  PubHcan  standing  afar  off 


172  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


would  not  lift  up  so  much  as  his  eyes  unto  heaven,  but  smote 
upon  his  breast,  saying,  'God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner,"  I 
tell  you  this  man  went  down  to  his  house  justified  rather 
than  the  other,  for  "every  one  that  exalteth  himself  shall  be 
abased,  and  he  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted." 
This  prayer  itself  is  the  first  act  of  faith.  The  first  and  most 
natural  and  most  proper  thing  for  one  who  honestly  wishes  to 
turn  from  sin  and  believe  on  Christ  and  to  be  saved,  is  to 
pray.  The  Lord  Jesus  looked  on  with  delight  when  he  could 
say  to  Ananias  of  the  stubborn  rebel,  Saul  of  Tarsus,  "behold 
he  prayeth."  Acts  9-1 1.  "And  the  Tord  said  unto  him, 
arise  and  go  into  the  street  which  is  called  Straight,  and  ifri- 
quire  in  the  house  of  Judas  for  one  called  Saul  of  Tarsus,  for 
behold  he  prayeth." 

We  should  be  sure,  however,  that  the  sinner  really  is  sorry 
for  sin,  and  really  wishes  to  forsake  it  before  we  tell  him  to 
pray  for  pardon.  You  can  get  him  on  his  kn«es  even  before 
this,  and  so  get  him  to  realize  that  he  is  in  God's  presence,  so 
that  his  rebellious  heart  may  be  humbled,  but  do  not  have 
him  pray  until  he  really  does  wish  to  turn  from  sin. 

Fourth  Proposition .  The  great  sinner  who  is  sorry  for  and 
humbled  by  his  sin,  and  who  desires  pardon,  can  pray  so  that 
God  will  hear.  The  question  is  often  asked,  "shall  we  get 
unconverted  people."  If  a  man  is.  sorry  for  his  sin  and  wishes 
to  forsake  it  and  find  mercy,  and  is  willing  to  humble  himself 
before  God  and  ask  for  pardon,  he  is  taking  the  very  steps  by 
which  a  man  turns  around,  or  is  converted.  To  tell  a  man 
he  must  not  pray  under  such  circumstances,  is  to  tell  him  that 
he  must  not  be  converted  until  he  is  converted,  that  he  must 
not  turn  until  he  is  turned  round.  To  get  him  to  pray  is  just 
the  thing  to  do,  "for  whosoever  shall  call  upon  the  name  of 
the  Lord  shall  be  saved.    (Rom.  10-3).    But  how,  some  one 


FROftl  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT.  173 

may  ask,  can  he  pray  until  he  has  faith?  The  answer  is  very 
simple,  hence  the  necessity  of  prayer.  The  text  says,  men 
ought  always  to  pray  and  not  to  faint.  You  see  when  the 
Lord  commanded  Ananias  to  go  to  the  house  of  Judas,  how 
he  shook  and  trembled  and  even  reminded  the  Lord  of  the 
fact  that  Saul  had  come  there  on  a  mission  of  persecution, 
and  at  that  very  moment  he  had  letters  of  authority  from  the 
High  Priest  to  bring  back  to  Jerusalem  all  that  he  found  call- 
ing on  the  name  of  Jesus,  but  when  he  was  informed  by  the 
great  High  Priest  and  captain  of  our  salvation,  that  "behold 
he  prayeth,"  it  destroyed  every  vestige  of  fear,  and  he  went 
rejoicing  on  his  mission  and  greeted  him  as  brother  Saul,  and 
Saul  laid  his  desire  before  Him  at  once,  and  that  was  that 
His  eyes  might  be  opened.  It  was  a  prayer  from  an  humble 
and  contrite  heart.  Hence  it  was  answered.  He  told  him 
how  he  was  struck  blind  on  the  way  from  Jerusalem  to 
Damascus.  He  told  of  the  blazing  magnetic  sun  light  that 
shone  in  his  pathway.  He  told  cf  the  voice  that  spake  unto 
him,  (Acts  9-4.)  He  told  of  his  answer  (Acts  5.)  It  was 
Saul's  first  real  prayer,  though  it  took  the  heavy  rod  of  chas- 
tisment  to  bring  him  to  it.  God  heard  and  answered  his 
prayer,  and  will  hear  yours,  sinner,  if  you  will  humble  your- 
self before  Him.  As  soon  as  Paul  received  strength  he  be- 
gan to  preach  redemption  through  the  blood  of  Christ, 
(notice  Rom.  1-16).  For  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  gospel  of 
Christ;  for  it  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every 
one  that  believeth;  to  the  Jew  first  and  also  to  the  Gentile. 
Hence,  men  ought  always  to  pray  and  not  to  faint.  Prayer 
is  the  key  that  unlocks  heaven's  door,  and  gives  man  a  fore- 
ghmpse  of  that  house  not  made  with  hands,  and  brings  him 
back  into  fall  unity  with  his  Father  who  art  in  heaven^.  It 
takes  him  back  through  the  moulds  of  God's  eternal  power. 


174 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


and  restores  the  image  that  was  defaced  by  sin  into  the  like- 
ness of  his  creator.  "For,  as  in  Adam,  all  die;  even  so  in 
Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive."    (ist  Cor.  15-22). 

In  the  year  of  1871,  when  the  gold  fever  was  at  its  height 
in  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  two  young  men,  inspired  by  the 
thought  of  wealth,  sacrificed  everything,  left  home  and  friends 
for  the  wilds  of  that  unsettled  territory,  seeking  their  fortune. 
They  were  quite  fortunate  and  obtained  considerable  gold, 
but  their  anxiety  is  greater  now  than  it  was  when  they  were 
going,  for  they  were  not  afraid  of  losing  their  lives  when  they 
had  no  gold,  but  now  they  are  in  constant  fear.  Therefore 
they  had  to  be  on  the  alert  day  and  night  for  fear  of  the  band 
of  robbers  who  would  murder  them  for  their  gold.  Hence 
one  would  walk  his  beat  with  gun  in  hand,  with  a  vigilant 
eye,  while  the  other  slept,  and  vice  versa,  and  they  continued 
this  for  twenty-eight  days  until  they  finally  reached  the  bolder 
states.  One  night  the  picket  discovered  a  dim  light  in  the 
distance,  quietly  awoke  his  partner  and  prepared  to  defend 
themselves  trom  their  supposed  enemies.  Upon  reconnoit- 
ering  they  soon  discovered  they  had  reached  the  border 
of  civihzation,  and  that  the  dim  light  discovered  was  the 
home  of  an  old  christian  man  and  his  wife,  who  were  only 
too  glad  to  give  them  shelter,  and  food  such  as  they  had. 
After  supper  they  went  up  in  the  loft  to  go  to  bed,  but  not 
being  fully  satisfied  of  their  safety,  neither  undressed.  One 
slept  with  rifle  in  hand,  while  the  other  sat  at  the  head  of  the 
stairs  as  a  sentinel  until  a  late  hour  in  the  night,  when  the 
angelic  voice  of  the  old  mother  was  heard  singing  one  of 
Zion's  praises.  The  sentinel  sprang  to  his  feet,  with  joy  in 
his  soul,  as  she  continued  to  sing : 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULIT. 


175 


"I'm  a  poor  wayfaring  stranger, 

While  journeying  through  this  world  of  woe, 
Yet  there's  no  sickness,  toil  nor  danger, 

In  that  bright  world  to  which  I  go. 

I'm  going  there  to  see  my  father, 
I'm  going  there  no  more  to  roam. 

I'm  just  a  going  over  Jordan 
I'm  just  a  going  over  home." 


He  rushed  to  the  bed,  shook  his  partner,  saying:  "John, 
come  here  quick."  His  partner  seized  his  gun  and  started, 
but  he  said,  "John,  lay  down  your  gun  and  hsten."  The  old 
folks  continued  to  sing: 


"I  know  dark  clouds  will  gather  round  me. 

I  know  my  way  is  rough  and  steep. 
Yet  brighter  fields  lie  just  before  me. 

Where  God's  redeemed  their  vigil  keep. 

I'm  going  there  to  see  my  mother. 
She  said  she'd  meet  me  when  I  come. 

I'm  just  a  going  over  Jordan, 
I'm  just  a  gomg  over  home." 


In  a  moment  they  stood  in  silence  in  each  other's  arms, 
with  their  hearts  overflowing  with  joy.  When  the  silence  was 
broken  one  said  to  the  other,  "John,  that  sounds  like  our 
mothers  in  old  Indiana."  About  this  time  the  old  mother 
sang  the  last  verse  . 


176 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


"I'll  soon  be  free  from  every  trial, 

My  body  will  sleep  in  the  old  church  yard. 

I'll  drop  the  cross  of  self  denial, 
And  enter  on  my  great  reward. 

I'm  going  there  to  see  my  Savior, 
To  sing  His  praise  in  heaven's  dome ; 

I'm  just  a  going  over  Jordan 
I'm  just  a  going  over  home." 

After  this  the  old  mother  prayed  one  of  those  earnest, 
fervent  prayers,  asking  God  to  watch  over  and  protect  the 
strangers  in  their  home.  John  said  to  his  partner,  "let's  un- 
dress and  go  to  bed  for  we're  all  right;  we  are  in  a  praying 
home." 

Men  ought  always  to  pray  and  not  to  faint.  Paul,  the 
great  Gentile  preacher,  with  Silas,  his  brother,  was  cast  into 
the  Philippian  jail  for  preaching  Christ  as  the  only  hope  of 
salvation.  They  were  thrust  into  prison  with  their  feet  in 
the  stocks.  (Acts  i6-2  2-.28th  verse).  Paul  might  have  ask- 
ed this  question  of  his  companion;  "why  do  we  stay  in  this 
dungeon,  with  our  feet  in  the  stocks  and  our  backs  bleeding? 
Where  is  the  Christ  that  met  me  on  the  highway  to  Damascus? 
Where  is  the  God  of  our  fathers,  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob, 
who  trusted  in  God  and  conquered  every  foe?  He  has 
promised  not  to  leave  nor  forsake  us. "  Let  us  sing  one  of  the 
songs  of  Zion,  after  which  they  prayed  until  the  heavens 
vibrated  and  reverberated  with  the  prayers  of  these  saints, 
and  God  sent  down  some  of  heaven's  embassadors,  some  of 
the  swift  winged  messengers,  and  as  they  hovered  above  that 
prison  the  prison  was  shaken  from  center  to  circumference, 
and  the  bolts  and  bars  were  loosened,  and  God  unlocked  the 


FROM  LOG  CABIX  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


ITT 


shackles  and  manacles  that  held  them  in  the  stocks,  and  they 
Avalked  out  into  the  corridor  of  the  jail  praising  God  in  the 
highest.  The  jailer  felt  the  shaking  of  the  i:)rison  as  a  mighty 
earthquake.  He  rushed  into  the  prison  and  seeing  the  doors 
all  opened,  and  seeing  no  man  he  drew  his  sword  and  would 
have  taken  his  own  life,  for  it  was  certain  death  for  a  Roman 
soldier  to  allow  a  prisoner  to  escape.  But  Paul  cried  with  a 
loud  voice,  saying;  "Do  thyself  no  harm,  for  we  are  allhere." 
Then  he  calle:!  for  a  light,  and  sprang  in  and  came  trembling 
and  fell  down  before  Paul  and  Silas  and  brought  them  out, 
and  said.  '-Sirs,  what  must  1  do  to  be  saved?"  And  they 
said,  "believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  thou  shalt  be 
saved,  and  thy  house,"  and  that  night  the  PhiUppian  jailer  and 
his  house  were  converted  and  baptized  unto  God,  the  result  of 
prayer. 

Men  ought  always  to  pray  and  not  to  faint. 

"Prayer  is  the  soul's  sincere  desire, 

Unuttered  or  expressed. 

The  motion  of  a  hidden  fire 

That  trembles  in  the  breast — 

Prayer  is  the  simplest  form  of  speech 

That  infant  lips  can  try  ; 

It  lifts  us  from  the  mire  and  clay 

And  plants  our  feet  on  high. 

Oh,  Thou,  by  whom  to  God,  we  come, 

The  truth,  the  life,  the  way, 

The  path  ot  prayer  Thyself  hath  trod, 

Lord,  teach  us  how  to  pray." 


178 


FKOM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
SUBJECT,  STANDARD. 

Sermon  delivered  by  Rev.  W.  H.  Robinson,  Albia, 
Iowa,  A.  M.  E.  Church,  March  28th,  1907. 

'•Go  through,  go  through  the  gates,  prepare  ye  the 
way  of  the  people,  cast  up,  cast  up  the  highway, 
gather  out  the  stones,  lift  up  a  standard  for  the 
people."  This  is  the  prophet's  fervent  zeal  for  God's 
promises  to  his  church.  Ministers  are  incited  to  like 
importunity.  Isaiah,  the  son  of  Amos,  prophesied 
B,  C.  760  years,  or  about  that  time.  God  has  had  a 
man  for  every  time,  emergency  and  purpose.  When 
He  would  raise  up  a  people  to  Himself,  he  called 
Abraham,  a  Chaldean.  When  He  would  preserve 
that  people's  life  He  prepared  a  Joseph.  When  He 
would  lead  those  people  to  a  land  of  promise  he 
called  a  Moses,  a  fugitive  from  Egypt.  When  He 
heard  the  cries  from  the  Babylonian  captives,  who 
cried  by  reason  of  their  sore  affliction,  he  had  a  Nehe- 
miah.  When  he  heard  the  cries  of  the  slaves  in  the 
southland  He  called  in  Abraham  Lincoln,  from  the 
Log  Cabin  in  Kentucky,  to  be  the  chief  magistrate  of 
this  great  nation.  Although  the  nation  was  baptized 
in  human  blood,  and  Lincoln  died  the  death  of  a  mar- 
tyr,  he  became   the   great  standard    of  libert}^  in 


FEOM  LOG   CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


179 


America.  When  the  voices  of  the  Cubans  and  the 
Philipinoes  reached  the  throne  of  our  Grod  He  gave  to 
us  a  William  McKiuley,  who  dared  to  do  and  to  die 
because  he  was  inspired  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  all  of 
whom  became  great  standards  for  God  and  suffering 
humanity. 

Isaiah  declared  for  Zioo's  sake  he  would  not  hold 
peace,  and  for  Jerusalem's  sake  I  will  not  rest  until 
the  righteousness  thereof  go  forth  as  brightness,  and 
the  salvation  thereof  as  a  lamp  that  burneth,  and  the 
Gentiles  shall  see  their  righteousness  and  all  Kings  thy 
Glory,  and  thou  shalt  be  called  by  a  new  name  which 
the  mouth  of  the  Lord  shall  name.  Thou  shalt  also  be 
a  crown  of  glory  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord  and  a  royal 
diadem  in  the  hand  of  thy  God.  This  subject  has  a 
two-fold  meaning;  a  spiritual  and  literal.  The  spirit- 
ual and  literal.  The  spiritual,  Isaiah  points  the  people 
to  the  coming  King,  and  said  to  his  kingdom  there 
should  be  no  end.  [See  Isaiah  9-6.]  For  unto  us  a 
child  is  born,  unto  us  a  son  is  given,  and  the  govern- 
ment shall  be  upon  His  shoulders,  and  His  name  shall 
be  called  wonderful  counselor,  the  almighty  God,  the 
everlasting  father,  the  Prince  of  Peace.  (Isaiah  9-7: 
Of  the  increase  of  His  government  and  peace  there 
shall  be  no  end.  Upon  the  throne  of  David  and  upon 
his  kingdom,  to  order  it  and  to  establish  it  with  judg- 
ment and  with  justice  from  henceforth,  even  forever. 
(See  Isaiah  63;  1st  to  6th  verses).  Who  is  this  that 
Cometh  from  Edom  with  dyed  garments  from  Bozrah? 
This  that  is  glorious  in  his  apparel,  traveling  in  the 
greatness  of  his  strength?    I  that  speak  in  righteous- 


180  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


ness,  mighty  to  save.  Wherefore  art  thou  red  in 
thine  apparel,  and  thy  garments  like  him  that  tread eth 
in  the  wine  fat?  I  have  trodden  the  wine-press  alone 
and  of  the  people. 

There  was  ncme  with  me,  for  I  will  tread  them  in 
my  fnry,  and  their  blood  shall  be  sprinkled  upon  my 
garments,  and  1  will  stain  all  my  raiments,  for  the  day 
of  vengeance  is  in  my  heart,  and  the  year  of  my  re- 
deemed is  come.  And  I  looked  and  there  was  none  to 
help,  and  I  wondered  that  there  w^as  none  to  uphold; 
therefore  mine  own  arms  brought  salvation  unto  me, 
and  my  fury  it  upheld  me,  and  this  is  the  great  stand- 
ard that  was  to  be  a  light  to  the  feet  of  the  Gentiles, 
and  a  lamp  to  the  pathway  that  was  to  shine  away  the 
darkness  of  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death.  (Text) 
"Go  through,  go  through  the  gates,  prepare  ye  the 
way  of  the  people.  Cast  up,  cast  up  the  highway, 
gather  out  the  stones,  lift  up  a  standard  for  the  people." 
The  four  gates  to  the  garden  of  Eden  were  closed  by 
the  fall  of  Adam.  The  four  gates  of  the  city  of  New 
Jerusalem  w^ere  opened  by  the  birth,  suffering  death, 
resurrection,  and  ascension  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
For  death  reigned  from  Adam  to  Christ,  but  life  shall 
reign  from  time  to  eternity,  for  Jesus  said  (St.  John 
11:25).  "I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life,  he  thart 
believeth  in  me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he 
live  (26th)  and  whosoever  liveth  and  believeth  in  me 
shall  never  die."  (See  Matthew  3:  1st  to  4th  verses.) 
''In  those  days  came  John  the  Baptist  preaching  in  the 
wilderness  of  Judea,  and  saying,  repent  ye,  for  the 
kingdom  of  Heaven  is  at  hand.    For  this  is  he  that 


FROM  LOG  CABIK  TO  THE  PULPIT.  131 


was  spoken  of  by  the  prophet  Isaiah,  sajdng,  the  voice 
of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness,  prepare  ye  the  way  of 
the  Lord.  Make  His  path  straight."  John  was  the 
great  standard  of  righteousness  in  the  wilderness. 
Then  cometh  Jesus  from  Gallilee  to  Jordan  unto  John 
to  be  baptized  of  him.  But  John  forbade  Him,  saying, 
'^I  have  need  to  be  baptizied  of  thee;  and  cometh  Tho« 
tome?  ''And  Jesus  answering  said  unto  him:  ''Suffer: 
it  to  be  so  now,  for  thus  it  becometh  us  to  fullill  all 
righteousness."  Then  He  suffered  Him.  and  Jesus., 
when  he  was  baptized,  went  up  straightway  out  of  the 
water,  and  lo  the  heaveus  were  opened  unto  Him,  and 
He  saw  the  spirit  of  God  ascending  and  descending  like 
a  dove  and  lighting  upon  Him,  and  lo,  a  voice  from 
heaven  saying,  this  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am 
well  pleased. 

And  this  is  the  standard  that  Isaitih  saw  through  the 
spirit  more  than  760  years  before  he  came,  and  prophe- 
sied concerning  Him.  Priests  and  pn^phets  prayed  to 
see  the  light  of  the  coming  King,  who  was  to  redeem 
Israel  from  the  curse  of  a  broken  law,  for  the  sentence 
of  death  was  passed  upon  all  men.  Therefore  (Job  11- 
14)  ask  this  question:  'Tfa  man  die  shall  he  live 
again?"  And  Jesus,  the  standard  of  salvation,  answer- 
ed and  said,  ''because  I  live  ye  shall  live  also."  (  John 
14-19.)  And  he  said  unto  Mary  and  Martha,  the  two 
orphan  girls  who  had  lain  their  only  brother  in  the 
silent  city  of  the  dead,  and  were  now  kneeling  at  the 
feet  of  Jesus  and  bewailing  their  loss,  when  Martha 
said  UTito  Him,  "if  thou  hadst  been  here  my  brothe^r 
had  not  died,  but  I  know  that  even  now  whatsoever 


182  FROM  LOG  CABIN   TO   THE  PULPIT, 

thou  ask  of  God,  God  will  give  it  thee,"  Jesus  said 
unto  her,  ''thy  brother  shall  rise  again."  "Martha 
said  unto  Him,  "I  know  that  he  will  rise  again  in  the 
resurrection  at  the  last  day."  Jesus  said  unto  her,  "I 
am  the  resurrection  and  the  life,  he  that  believeth  in 
me,  though  he  were  dead  yet  shall  he  live:"  (John  11- 
21  and  25th  verses).  So  the  world  need  not  worry  or 
have  any  fear  concerning  eternal  life,  for  God  has  so 
declared  that  before  one  jot  or  tittle  of  His  word  shall 
fail,  heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away.  (Rev.  21:1-3). 
And  John  declared  ''he  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new 
earth,  for  the  first  heaven  and  the  first  earth  were 
passed  away,  and  there  was  no  more  sea,  and  I,  John, 
saw  the  holy  city.  New  Jerusalem,  coming  down  from 
God  out  of  heaven,  prepared  as  a  bride  adorned  for 
her  husband."  And  we  know  that  it  must  have  been 
a  beautiful  sight  that  dazzled  the  eyes  of  the  most  ex- 
pectant. "And  I  heard  a  great  voice  out  of  heaven 
saying,  behold,  the  tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men,  and 
He  will  dwell  with  them  and  they  shall  be  His  people, 
and  God  himself  shall  be  with  them  and  be  their  God." 
This  is  a  glorious  promise.  This  destroys  the  very 
fear  of  death  from  the  minds  of  God's  true  pilgrims,  so 
that  they  wade  out  into  the  turbulent  waters  of  the 
valley  and  shadow  of  death,  and,  like  David  the  shep- 
herd king,  defy  the  presence  of  death.  And  as  he 
sees  the  approaching  of  the  grim  monster,  he  buckles 
on  armour,  his  habiliment,  girds  up  his  loins — with  a 
girdle  of  God's  eternal  truth,  tries  his  shield  that  bears 
the  marks  of  many  spears  shot  at  him  by  the  enemy, 


FEOM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT.  183 


unsheathes  his  sword  and  marches  out  to  meet  the  last 
enemy  to  be  conquered,  which  is  death. 

Hash  I  I  hear  the  din  of  the  battle.  It  is  tierce, 
long  and  loud.  The  combatants  on  one  side  are  fight- 
ing for  truth  and  righteousness;  the  other  side  for 
death  and  destruction.  The  captain  on  one  side  is 
Apolijxn,  the  prince  of  the  powers  of  the  air.  The 
other  one  is  the  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and 
the  end,  the  first  and  the  last,  who  conquered  the 
powers  of  death  and  hell,  robbed  the  grave  of  her 
victory  and  death  of  its^  sting,  mounted  the  clouds  of 
the  morning  with  a  ccmvoy  of  angeis  as  his  escort, 
soared  back  to  his  father's  house  with  a  promise  of 
another  comforter  to  the  world,  and  sitteth  at  the 
right  hand  of  God  the  Father  Almighty,  where  he 
maketh  intercession  for  the  Saints. 

The  great  standard  of  righteousness,  the  literal  side 
of  the  prophet's  definition,  points  to  the  Babyionian 
captivity.  Looking  down  through  the  telescope  of 
time,  he  sees  the  Israelites,  the  chosen  people  of  God, 
the  Abrahamic  seed,  767  years  before  the  event  really 
takes  place,  led  away  from  Jerusalem,  and  their  native 
land,  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  king  of  Babylon,  captives. 
Isaiah  heard  the  echo  of  their  wails,  and  the  deep 
groaning  of  their  souls  as  they  are  marching  from  their 
native  land  destined  to  a  life  of  servitude  which  must 
last  for  70  years.  They  yet  bear  the  scars  and  sore 
feet  of  weary  years  of  an  Egyptian  bondage,  where 
they  toiled  450  years  under  Pharaoh,  the  King  of 
Egypt.  Led  out  by  Moses,  God's  standard  bearer, 
they  could  hear  the  hoof  and  steel  of  Pharaoh's  horses 


ISi  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


and  chariots.  They  could  hear  the  stern  command  of 
that  mighty  king,  urging  his  army  on  to  overtake 
them.  I  can  hear  their  wails  to  Moses,  their  leader 
and  standard  bearer.  I  can  see  Moses,  God's  standard 
bearer,  as  he  goes  to  headquarters  for  orders,  as  he 
listens  to  the  tramp  of  his  enemies,  and  the  rumbling 
of  their  chariot  wheels.  He  makes  this  inquiry;  "Lord, 
what  shall  I  do?"  God  said  to  him;  "tell  the  people 
to  stand  still  and  see  the  salvation  of  God,  for  the 
enemy  you  see  today  you  shall  soon  see  them  no  more 
forever."  He  commanded  Moses  to  take  the  staff  that 
he  had  in  his  hand,  and  pass  it  three  times  over  the 
waters  of  the  Red  Sea,  and  the  water  became  frighten- 
ed at  itself,  for  God  sent  doAvn  a  trade  wind  that  night 
and  divided  the  water  from  the  water.  Having  thus 
pontooned  the  Red  Sea,  dr}^  land  appeared,  and  the 
people  marched  over  dry  shod.  God  put  a  pillar  of 
cloud  by  day  and  a  pillar  of  fire  by  night,  so  it  was 
darkness  to  the  Egyptians  by  day  and  by  night,  but 
light  to  the  Israelites.  When  Israel  had  crossed  the 
Red  Sea  and  the  Egyptians  attempted  to  do  the  same, 
God  spoke  to  the  waters,  and  the  Egyptians  were  des- 
troyed. Israel  looked  back,  and  sang  this  triumphant 
song: 


''Isaac,  a  ransom  while  he  lay 
Upon  the  altar  bound; 

Moses,  an  infant  cast  away, 
By  Pharaoh's  daughter  found. 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PCLPIT. 


185 


Didn't  old  Pharaoh  get  Jost, 

Get  lost:  get  lost? 
Oh,  didn't  old  Pharoh  get  lost, 

All  in  the  Red  Sea?" 

Said  they,  the  horseman  and  his  rider  are  over- 
thrown, and  God  has  deli  veered  his  people  from  the 
hand  ofPharaohT' 

[Text]  Lift  up  a  standard  for  the  people.  They 
wandered  forty  years  in  the  wilderness.  They  were  un- 
faithful and  unthankful.  They  murmured  and  com- 
plained all  the  time.  When  they  were  hungry,  God 
fed  them  bread  made  up  by  the  spoken  word  of  His 
Power  and  fed  it  to  them  fresh  and  flakey  every  morn- 
ing. And  Jesus  says  I  am  the  bread  of  life.  Jesus  is 
to  the  soul  what  the  manna  was  to  the  body  of  the 
Israelites.  For  forty  years  they  wandered  in  the  wilder- 
ness, because  of  their  disoDedience,  and  today  the 
church  of  God  is  wan^leriug  because  of  retrogration 
from  the  true  standard  of  God.  ^Ve  are  takins;  on  too 
much  of  the  world,  and  too  little  of  God.  Israel's 
sins  led  them  into  many  pitfalls.  Finally  they  were 
bitten  by  the  fiery  serpents,  and  died  by  the  thousands. 
God  commanded  Moses,  the  standard  bearer,  to  mould 
a  serpent  of  brass  and  lift  it  up  in  the  wilderness  and 
to  tell  the  people  to  look  upon  it  and  the.y  should  be 
healed.  But  thousands  died  because  they  would  not 
look.  Jesus  said,  *'as  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in 
the  wilderness,  even  so  must  the  son  of  man  be  lifted 
up.''  As  the  great  standard  of  the  human  family,  the 
Lord  help  us  to  look  and  live.    Sinners,   which  will 


186 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


you  do?  Look  sDd  live,  or  close  your  eyes  and  die? 
(Text)  Lift  up  a  standard  for  the  people.  (See  illus- 
tration). In  1869  your  humble  servant  made  a  trip 
to  London,  England.  While  there  I  met  a  German 
whose  sympathy  was  very  strong  for  me  and  my  peo- 
ple in  this  country,  and  we  were  together  nearly  every 
day  while  there.  He  had  been  a  sailor  for  forty  years, 
and  I  being  a  natural  born  mariner  it  blended  us  very 
close  together.  We  would  stand  upon  the  pier  of  that 
great  harbor,  w^here  we  could  see  the  white  winged 
doves  of  commerce  coming  from  every  civilized  quarter 
of  the  earth,  and  as  I  saw  the  different  ilags  at  the 
mastheads  I  would  say  to  my  friend,  ''where  does  that 
ship  come  from?"  Without  waiting  to  read  the  in- 
scription on  the  ensign  he  would  say,  "from  Italy". 
"And  this  one?"  '-from  France."  "And  this?"  from 
Germany."  "And  this?"  from  Kussia. "  "And  this" 
"from  Spain,  etc."  But  when  I  saw  the  old  stnr 
spangled  banner  I  did  not  have  to  ask  any  questions. 
I  knew  it  was  the  standard  that  was  unfurled  over  me 
at  Blue  Springs,  Tennessee.  In  November,  1863,  just 
after  being  captured  from  the  confederate  army.  Gen- 
eral Thomas  had  me  stand  in  the  door  of  his  tent,  nnd 
ordered  the  national  flag  unfurled.  It  was  very  c:jlm, 
not  a  breath  of  air  stirring,  but  just  as  General  Thomas 
stepped  to  my  side  it  seemed  as  if  God  sent  a  provi- 
dential breeze  along,  and  it  wrapped  the  old  flag  all 
around  us.  General  Thomas,  who  controlled  the  union 
army  of  the  Tennessee  said,  "  today  this  flao:  makes  you 
a  free  man."  I  wept  for  joy,  standing  under  the 
great  standard  of  liberty,  for  I  could  now  sing  the 


FROM  LOG   CABIN  TO  THE  PirLPIT.  187 

national  air,  the  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the 
brave.  In  the  true  sense  of  patriotism  I  had  worn  the 
shackles  of  literal  bondage  for  years,  but  in  due  season 
God  emancipated  me  from  being  the  goods  and  chattels 
of  other  men,  so  I  could  think  and  act  for  myself  as  a 
man.  But  thanks  be  to  God,  in  1877,  he  emancipated 
my  soal  from  the  bondage  of  sin. 

When  1  saw  the  standard  of  America  I  asked  no 
questions.  So  it  ought  to  be  with  every  true  child  of 
God',  who  has  been  freed  from  the  bondage  of  sin,  and 
made  heirs  and  joint  heirs  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and 
become  such  lofty  standards  that  we  would  be  living 
epistles,  ^read  and  known  of  all  men  as  the  standards  of 
Jesus.  (Text).  Lift  up  a  standard'  for  the  people. 
There  are  so  many  ways  we  can  be  standards.  First, 
by  faithfulness  to  the  cause  we  represent.  Second,  by 
our  Christian  fidelity,  truth  and  righteousness.  Love 
God  supremely.  Be  at  peace  with  all  men.  In  order 
to  do  this  we  must  keep  aloft  the  standard  of  prayer, 
which  is  a  weapon  sharper  than  any  two  edged  sword. 
It  is  a  standard  of  power  that  even  the  heathen  in  the 
jungles  of  Africa  recognize  and  reverence,  though  their 
deity  is  nothing  but  a  dumb  idol.  They  bow^  down  to 
it  and  utter  some  form  of  prayer.  Hence  we  can  see 
the  necessity  of  the  standard  of  prayer.  (See  illus- 
tration). In  1871  this  country  sent  a  representa- 
tive to  Madrid,  Spain.  In  the  Spanish  courts  they 
found  some  technicality  in  the  official  acts  of  Mr. 
Woods.  They  gave  him  a  trial  and  sentenced  him  to 
death,  and  within  three  days  of  the  time  of  execution 
the  law  said,  a  man  sentenced  to  death  must  be  execut- 


188 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


ed  the  very  day  and  miQute  specified  in  his  sentence. 
If  not,  it  o^ave  him  sufficient  o^roiinds  for  a  new  trial. 
The  honorable  Janies  (x.  Blaine  was  at  that  time  sec- 
retary of  war,  and  saw  the  necessity  of  prolonging  the 
time,  so  that  Mr.  Woods  could  have  a  fair  and  im- 
partial trial,  that  he  might  vindicate  himself.  He 
asked  Queen  Victoria,  of  England,  to  order  her  repre- 
sentatives, with  the  flag  of  her  countrj^,  to  be  on  the 
spot  of  execution.  He  also  made  the  same  request  to 
the  czar  of  Russia.  He  ordered  an  iVmerican  repre- 
sentative, with  the  stars  and  stripes,  with  the  other 
nations,  and  a  few  minutes  before  the  time  of  execu- 
tion they  wrapped  Mr.  Woods  up  in  these  three  fl^ags. 
Twenty  four  men,  with  loaded  guns,  are  waiting  for 
orders  to  send  the  leaden  messenger  of  death  into  the 
body  of  Mr.  Woods.  The  time  is  up.  Attention  is 
called.  But  there  is  no  command  to  fire.  The  ques- 
tion is  asked,  ''why  don't  you  give  the  command  to 
shoot?  The  time  is  up."  The  answer  is,  ''how  can 
we  shoot  a  man  through  the  flags  of  three  great  nations?' 
The  time  of  execution  is  past.  Mr.  Woods  was  taken 
back  to  prison,  had  a  fair  and  impartial  trial,  and  was 
set  at  liberty.  Now,  if  the  standards  of  three  nations 
can  save  a  man  from  a  literal  death,  what  must  the 
standard  of  Calvary  do?  Every  strand  of  thread  in 
that  flag  is  staine#t  in  the  blood  of  Calvary's  lamb.  And 
Jesus  said  unto  the  dying  thief,  "today  shalt  thou  be 
with  me  in  paradise."  (Text)t  Lift  up  the  standard 
for  the  people.  He  was  crucified,  dead  and  buried. 
The  third  day  he  arose  from  the  dead,  and  said,  "J  am 
he  that  liveth,  and  was  dead,  and  behold  I  am  alive 
forevermore,  and  have  the  keys  of  death  and  hell. 
Amen." 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


189 


My  Thanks  Be  Unto  You. 

The  following  are  a  few  voluntarily  contributed  testi- 
monials by  friends  who  have  read  m}'  life's  history- 
work  entitled,  "From  Log  Cabin  to  the  Pulpit,"  all 
of  which  I  mosi  heartily  appreciate  and  extend  my  sin- 
cere and  earnest  thanks  to  those  who  have  thus  taken 
such  warm  interest  in  both  myself  and  daughter,  and 
in  the  work  we  are  endeavoring  to  accomplish  for  hu- 
manity through  the  aid  of  and  in  the  name  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  our  Savior,  and  the  Savior  of  all  man- 
kind who  wish  his  help  and  are  willing  to  follow  him 
and  his  teachings.    God  extends  his  help  to  all. 

W.  H.  Robinson. 


Eau  Claire,  Wis.,  July  8,1913. 
To  Whom  it  May  Concern: 

I  have  beea  personally  acquainted  with  Rev.  W. 
H.  Robinson,  of  this  city,  for  several  years.  I  have 
read  his  book,  '^From  Log  Cabin  to  the  Pulpit," 
which  contains  his  life's  history  and  reminiscences  of 
the  Civil  war,  which  gave  him  his  freedom  from  slav- 
ery, and  I  cannot  recommend  either  him  or  his  publi- 
cation too  highly,  and  hope  all  my  friends  will  read 
this  history  of  his  life. 

Respectfully  Yours, 
G.  E.  Clark,  D.  D.  S. 


190 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


Eau  Claire,  Wis.,  June  14,  1913. 

I  believe  that  the  story  of  the  life  of  W.  H.  Kobin- 
son,  as  told  by  himself,  is  one  of  those  interesting  bits 
of  personal  history,  reaching  back  into  the  slavery  days 
of  our  nation.  I  also  believe  that  the  purpose  of  the 
man  himself  is  high  and  earnest.  He  is  trying  to 
make  his  life  count  for  the  best  things. 

Sincerely, 

A.  E.  Leonard, 
First  Congregational  Church. 


Eau  Claire,  Wis.,  June  27,  1913. 

I  have  known  W.  H.  Robinson  for  some  time,  and 
am  glad  to  give  personal  testimony  to  my  belief  in  him 
as  an  earnest,  honest,  consecrated  christian  gentleman. 
I  have  not  read  his  autobiography,  but  having  heard 
him  in  the  lecture  on  his  life,  am  sure  that  the  book 
will  be  found  intensely  interesting,  and  profitable  read- 
ing. 

L.  E.  Osgood, 
Pastor  Second  Congregational  Church. 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


191 


Eau  Claire,  Wis.,  June  2,  1913. 
I  have  read  the  book  entitled  ''Fram  Log  Cabin  to 
the  Pulpit, "  by  the  Rev.  W.  H.  Eobinson,  and  find 
many  interesting  narrations  of  striking  events.  The 
book  is  well  worthy  the  attention  of  all  interested  in 
the  history  of  our  country. 

M.  Benson, 
Minister  in  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


Chicago,  III.,  June  27,  1910. 
To  WHOM  it  May  Concern: 

This  is  to  certify  that  I  am  personally  acquainted 
with  Evangelist  Wm.  H.  Eobinson,  who  has  been  in 
this  city  for  the  past  few^  months  doing  excellent  ser- 
vice. His  work  in  the  churches  of  this  city  has  been 
great.  I  therefore  recommend  him  to  the  ministers  of 
the  A.  M:  E.  Zion  church  or  in  any  other  field.  He 
will  render  you  valiant  service.  I  am  sure  that  what- 
ever you  may  do  for  him  will  be  appreciated. 

His  daughter  is  one  of  the  sw^eetest  singers  in  Israel, 
and  a  faithful  christian  worker.    I  am. 

Very  truly  yours, 
J.  B.  Colbert,  B.  Gr.  Shaav, 

Pastor  of  Presiding  Elder, 

Walter's  A.  M.  E.  Chicago  District, 

Zion  Church.  of  the  Michigan  Conference. 


192  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


eau  claire  district        west  wisconsin  conference 
Lake  Street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 

FRANK  lee  ROBERTS,  P  VSTOR, 

Residence  329  Lake  Street, 

Eau  Claire.  Wisconsin. 

To  Whom  it  May  Concern: 

This  is  to  certify  that  the  Rev.  Wm.  H.  RobiDSon  is 
personally  known  to  me  as  a  devout,  consecrated 
christian,  and  a  man  of  considerable  ability.  His  time 
is  devoted  to  the  building  of  God's  Kingdom  on  earth, 
and  his  labors  have  been  abundantly  blessed.  Many, 
because  of  his  ministry,  can  testify  to  the  saving  power 
of  Jesus  Christ.  I  have  read  his  book  entitled,  "From 
Log  Cabin  to  the  Fulpit^'  and  am  of  the  opinion  that  it 
merits  a  wide  readinof.  To  whomsoever  this  book  is 
allowed  to  present  its  message,  I  predict  a  wider  vis- 
ion of  true  usefulness  and  a  firmer  desire  to  live  a  holy 
life.  Such  is  the  testimony  herein  that  one  must  needs 
marvel  at  the  wonderful  way  in  which  God  leads  the 
way  upward  for  a  human  soul. 

Sincerely  yours, 
Frank  Lee  Roberts, 

Pastor  Lake  Street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


FROM  LOG  CABINTO  THE  PULPIT. 


193 


Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
west  wisconsin  conference 

(eAU  CLAIRE  DISTRICT) 

rev.  s.  a.  bender, 
superintendent. 

Eau  Claire,  Wis.,  June  6,  1913. 

It  is  a  genuine  pleasure  to  write  a  word  of  apprecia- 
tion of  '^From  Log  Cabin  to  the  Pulpit."  It  is  a 
pleasure  because  of  the  intrinsic  woTth  of  the  book, 
and  the  writer's  appreciation  of  the  personal  character 
of  the  author. 

No  one  of  a  religious  spirit  can  read  this  book  with- 
out having  his  faith  in  the  fact  of  God's  providential 
care  in  the  behalf  of  the  humblest  of  His  children 
greatly  strengthened.  The  book  is  of  worth  also  as  a 
contribution  to  the  history  of  the  institution  of  slavery, 
and  of  the  epoch  of  emancipation.  This  autobiography 
makes  for  optimism,  and  inspires  the  reader  to  a  more 
manful  fight  to  attain  spiritual  freedom.  He  who 
reads  this  book  will  be  a  better  man  for  spending  a 
time  with  our  author  in  the  recital  of  this  own  God 
guided  life  from  slavery  to  freedom. 

We  wish  for  this  book  a  large  circulation,  and  bid 
it  God  speed  on  its  mission. 

S.  A.  Bender. 


194 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


A  LETTER  TO  THE  PEOPLE  OF  EAU  CLAIRE, 
WISCONSIN. 

In  1910  we  became  residents  of  Eau  Claire.  I  want 
to  say  that  I  have  traveled  quite  extensively,  at  home, 
and  abroad, but  I  have  never  met  such  a  body  of  warm 
hearted  ministers  as  in  Eau  Claire;  men  who  at  once 
became  interested  in  my  daughter  and  self,  and  seemed 
to  have  no  thought  of  the  ''black  rubbing  olf They 
belong  to  that  class  of  men  who  look  beyond  the  color 
of  the  skin  or  the  texture  of  the  hair,  and  they  im- 
mediately extended  a  brotherly  hand.  "As  the  priest, 
so  the  people."  Like  a  strong  cable  they  have  held 
me  up.  With  one  hand  in  God's,  and  the  other  in  the 
hands  of  the  good  people  in  Eau  Claire  I  could  not  fall. 

My  first  service  here  was  in  the  Lake  Street  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church,  by  invitation  of  Rev.  Guy  W. 
Campbell  and  his  good  people.  I  preached  four  nights 
and  gave  a  lecture  entitled,  '  'From  Log  Cabin  to  the 
Pulpit."  God  raised  up  in  a  very  short  time  many, 
many  w^arm  hearted  friends  in  that  church.  See  letter 
of  recommendation  written  to  Rev.  C.  H.  Harris, 
pastor  of  the  Holcombe  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
Holcombe,  Wisconsin. 


FROM  LOG  CABIX  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


1P5 


Lake  Street  ^Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 

WEST  TTISCOXSIX  conference, 
EAU  CLAIRE  DISTRICT, 

GUY  W.   CAMPBELL.  PASTCR. 

Eau  Claire.  Wis..  Oct.  IS,  191 U. 

Ret.  C.  H.  Harris, 

Holcombe.  Wis. 

Dear  Brother:— I  tried  to  get  you  by  phone  Sunday 
evening  but  could  not.     Now  1  will  try  you  hy  letter. 

I  have  recently  had  a  negro  and  his  daughter  hold  a 
few  nights'  services  in  my  church.  He  is  an  ex-slave 
and  a  very  good  speaker.  He  spoke  three  nights  in 
succession  in  my  church  and  then  gave  a  lecture  on 
the- subject,  "Erom  Log  Cabin  to  the  Pulpit"  His 
sermons  and  lecture  were  good. 

Xow  he  wants  to  put  in  a  few  weeks  around  here 
before  he  goes  to  Texas  to  take  up  Evangelistic  work 
there.  I  could  get  him  for  you  for  the  tirst  of  next 
week,  beginning  the  24:th.  if  you  desire  him.  He  will 
come  on  this  arrangement.  Your  church  will  provide 
entertainment,  he  will  preach  three  nights  and  then 
give  the  lecture  for  25  and  10  cents  a  ticket,  the  pro- 
ceeds of  which  he  takes  as  his  compensation. 

He  was  at  the  Salvation  Army  Barracks  here  last 
week,  and  they  were  so  pleased  with  his  work  that  they 
insisted  on  his  stavino-  this  week  also. 

T  spoke  to  Brother  Straw  last  week  about  getting 
this  man  a  few  nights'  ap}X)intments  about  here,  and 
he  immediately  suggested  Holcombe.    He  has  heard 


196 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT, 


him  preach  and  give  his  lecture,  and  desired  me  to  con- 
vey his  unqualified  recommendation  to  you. 

We  will  not  have  many  opportunities  from  now  on 
to  secure  such  men.  Their  ranks  are  being  thinned 
about  as  fast  as  those  of  the  old  soldiers.  This  will 
give  your  3/oung  people  an  opportunity  to  hear  and 
see  a  real  ex-slave. 

Now  if  you  want  this  man  write  me  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. His  name  is  W.  H.  Robinson.  He  and  hi& 
daughter  are  fairly  good  singers  also. 

Sincerely, 

Guy  W.  Campbell. 


We  spent  two  weeks  in  Holcombe.  with  the  result 
that  twenty-five  were  happily  converted  and  united 
with  the  church.  From  there  we  went  to  other  points 
m  Wiscoasin.  In  Eau  Claire  and  vicinity,  to  date,  we 
have  seen  over  eight  hundred  people  born  into  the 
Kingdom  of  God,  for  which  we  give  Him  the  glory, 
for  God  forbid  that  I  glory  in  anything  save  the  cros& 
of  Christ.  May  God  bless  the  people  of  Eau  Claire- 
f  or  their  kindness  to  us. 

I  want  to  thank  my  landlord,  Mr.  Stephen  D.. 
Hoover,  and  Mr.  A.  V.  May  hew,  who  made  it  possible 
for  me  to  finance  this  edition  of  my  history.  I  appre- 
ciate their  true  friendship.  May  they  live  long  to  do 
much  good  for  the  Master's  Kingdom;  also  Mr.  B.  R. 
Barland,  real  estat?e  man,  for  his  untiring  interest  in 
1*5. 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


197 


Believing  that  the  large  and  fruitful  work  extending 
over  a  series  of  years  by  the  Eev.  W.  H.  Eobinson,  as 
an  Evangelist,  and  his  daughter  assisting  him  as  a 
singer,  is  worthy  of  recognition,  and  to  the  end  that 
loyal  elfort,  in  the  cause  of  truth  and  righteousness 
may  not  go  unrewarded. 

I  believe  the  good  people  of  Eau  Claire  will  join  with 
me  m  the  sentiment  and  aid  which  have  enabie(!?  the 
wwthy  Evangelist  t©  publish  in  book  form  a  narrative 
of  his  very  interesting  life;  a  life  beginnino-  as  a  slave, 
with  its  atrocious  incidents;  his  experiences  as  a  union 
soldier;  the  acquiring  of  an  education,  and  the  conse- 
crated use  of  that  education  for  the  uplifting  of  hu- 
manity; the  object  of  such  publication  being  the  very 
commendable  desire  to  carry  the  gospel  to  his  people 
ill  Africa,  his  father's  native  land. 

If  we,  as  citizens,  and  friends  of  humanity,  will  each 
purchase  a  copy,  we  Avill  certainly  get  value  received 
from  the  contents  of  this  valuable  book,  and  at  the 
same  time  help  him  to  answer  the  call  of  His  Master, 
*'Gro  ye  into  all  the  w^orld  and  preach  the  gospel  to 
evei'}^  creature. 

B.  R.  Barland. 


I  wish  also  to  thank  the  publisher  and  his  helpers 
for  the  interest  taken  in  me,  arnd  for  the  good  work 
they  have  done  in  getting  out  a  more  presentable 
book  than  the  former  ones  were.  Their  suggestions 
and  help  in  various  ways  have  enabled  me  to  re-edit 
my  book,  and  to  bring  this  edition  up  to  a  higher 
standard. 

I  send  th]»s  little  book  on  its  mission  of  love  to  all. 

Yours  for  Christ, 

W.  H.  ROBINSON. 


198  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


INDEX. 

Pages 

Presentation — Endorsements   6 

Author's  preface   9 

CHAPTER  l—My  family  history,  etc.— The  Underground  Ry.  ll-]5 

CHAPTER  II — Plan  for  father's  freedom— Our  Quaker  friends 
— Father  buys  his  freedom — The  trip  to  California-  -The  be- 
trayal— His  return  in  chains   16-18 

CHAPTER  III — The  overseer  and  taskmaster — The  slave 
hunter — Lee's  negro  traders'  pen  at  Richmond,   Virginia....  20-22 

CHAPTER  IV — The  false  charge  against  father — Returned  to 
slavery  again — Pathetic  parting — Our  family  scattered   23-27 

CHAPTER  V— Mother  and  three  children  willed  to  Scott  Cow- 
ens — Couens  strikes  mother  and  1  strike  him — I  run   away  28-32 

CHAPTER  VI — Uncle  Amos,  the  prophet — Murder  of  Frank 
Anderson — Lincoln,  our  second  Moses — Three  dollars  paid 
for  return  of  runaway  negroes   34-37 

CHAPTER  VII — Separated  from  my  mother — Terrible  whipping 
from  my  master — In  the  traders'  pen  at  Richmond — Heinous 
treatment  of  Fannie  Woods  and  her  babies   39-44 

CHAPTER  VllI — Humiliating  treatment  of  the  ladies — !  was 
sold  on  the  block  for  |1,150— A  slave  whipped  to  death — 

Mothers  separated  from  their  children     45-50 

CHAPTER  IX — Another  new  master — My  first  supper  and  the 
clever  ruse  of  the  milk-maid — Horrible  murder  of  a  slave 

whose  task  was  too  heavy  ..  j....   51-56 

CHAPTER  X — My  second  runaway — The  old  colored  mother 

who  befriended  me — The  efficacy  of  onions-   58-61 

CHAPTER  XI — The  hounds  after  me  and  the  use  of  onions 
— My  ruse  to  cross  the  ferry — Quick  witted  Sambo — Cap- 
tured again     62-67 

CHAPTER  XII — Back  to  Lee's  traders'  pen  again — A  mother 

drowns  herself  and  child — 1  learn  of  my  mother   68-71 

CHAPTER  XIII— Bought  by  Mr.  Hadley  and  see  mother  again 
— !  am   kissed   by  a  white  woman--My  happiness  with 

mother  soon  ended   72-75 


FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT. 


199 


CHAPTER  XIV— Back  to  Cowens  family  again — Uncle  Tom, 
the  overseer — The  war  approaching — The  Southern  Con- 
federacy first  meets  at  Montgomery,  Alabama — Jefferson 
Davis  elected  president— His  speech  at  Wilmington— How 
the  slaves  held  church — Negro  tricks  .,  ...  76-80 

CHAPTER  XV — Slave  holders'  consistent  family  worship  and 

sermon   81-88 

CHAPTER  XVI — Ft.  Sumpter  fired  upon — The  war  begun  in 
earnest — Joy  of  Uncle  Tom  and  the  slaves — How  I  deliv- 
ered a  note  to  my  mistress — I  go  to  the  war  with  my  master 
to  "whip  the  Yankees  in  three  days"    91-96 

CHAPTER  XVII— The  first  battles  of  the  war— Death  of  my 
master  and  my  capture  by  the  Yankees — The  incident  be- 
fore "Pap"  Thomas — Am  now  a  soldier  for  (he  union — 
Meet  my  mother  at  Greenville — Taking  a  load  of  contra- 
bands wifh  us  on  the  march — How  I  paid  for  a  cabin — The 
first  colored  troops  from  the  fre-e  states  -  ....  98-109 

CHAPTER  XVIU— Rescue  of  union  soldier  by  Aunt  Nancy 
Jordan   111-113 

CHAPTER  XIX — The  negro  in  it — My  enlistment — Regular 
battles  I  was  in — Search  for  mother — My  brother's  escape 
from  slavery — Mother  found — Re-union  of  mother  and  six 
of  the  children   115-120 

CHAPTER  XX— My  work  in  the  Nashville  fire  department- 
Finding  of  another  brother — Reception  given  us — Brother's 
terrible  death — Tour  with  Tennessee  Singers — Engagement 
with  Hanlon's  Wizard  Oil  Company — Trip  to  ,  London, 
England — Education  begins — Letter  to  President  Grant- 
Return  to  America.   121-132 

CHAPTER  XXI— Entrance  into  college  and  politics— I  teach 
school — Enter  employment  of  car  company — Narrow  escape 
from  death — My  great  conviction — Happily  converted   134-140 

CHAPTER  XXII— My  visions— I  join  Baptist  church— After- 
ward join  M.  E.  church  and  become  member  of  Indiana  Dis- 
trict conference — Credentials  given  me  by  Bishop  Foster....  141-145 

CHAPTER  XXIII— My  marriage— Children— Death  of  wife   146-149 


200  FROM  LOG  CABIN  TO  THE  PULPIT 

CHAPTER  XXIV — Taking  up  Evangelistic  work — My  daughter 


Dora's  death   150-151 

The  child's  inquiry   152-157 

CHAPTER  XXV— Origin  of  my  family  name   158-159 

CHAPTER  XXVi— Keeping  the  charge  of  the  Lord— Sermon, 

''The  Exaltation  of  Christ"  ,   162-169 

CHAPTER  XXVII— Sermon,  "Prayer"   170-177 

CHAPTER  XXVlIi— Sermon,  "Stanaards"   178-188 

Testimonials   189-193 

Author's  letter  of  thanks   194-197 


ILLUSTRATIONS, 

"OLD  GLORY,"  the  Tattered  Flag  Frontispiece. 

Title  page,  "From  Log  Cabin  to  the  Pulpit"    5 

Rev.  W.  H.  Robinson,  author      7 

Mrs.  W.  H.  Robinson   8 

Miss  Marguerite  Robinson   19 

Miss  Florence  Mitchell     33 

Rev.  W.  H.  Robinson  and  daughter.  Marguerite   38 

The  Angel  of  Liberty  guarding  the  negro   57 

Mr.  S.  J.  Richardson   67 

Abraham  Lincoln   89 

The  Lincoln  Log  Cabin    90 

W.  H.  Robinson  taking  the  oath  of  allegiance     97 

Tribute  to  the  heroes   110 

President  McKinley   114 

Stephen  D.  Lee   133 

A  Retrospection   160 

The  old  organ   161 


OUKC  UNIVERSITY  UBRARIES 


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